A Flower's Fame
by Crystal Zelda
Summary: Lily Evans has a secret: she's not really who she says she is. As her fame grows outside of Hogwarts, can she keep her identity, and herself, safe? And what about James Potter? He seems too interested in Lily's secrets... but what about his own?
1. A Flower's Start

**C/Z: Hey, all! I hope you enjoy this fic; I am!!**

**DISCLAIMER: Story plot (though not vair vair original) is mine. Lily Evans and Hogwarts are NOT (J.K. beat me there). And the song lyrics used here are "Everytime We Touch", by Cascada. Thanks!**

_Chapter One: A Flower's Start_

"Tune up. Checking, one, two three."

"Cue music!"

"She's on stage! Cue spotlight One!"

Deep breath. One, two. Just like any other night. Showtime…

_I still hear your voice, _

_When you sleep next to me. _

_I still feel your touch,  in my dreams._

 _Forgive me my weakness, _

_But I don't know why, _

_Without you it's hard to survive…_

"Go spotlights 3, 4, 9! Now!"

Suddenly, the once semi-darkened stage is lit up, to reveal a petite singer with a brilliant smile and a microphone. Her blood red hair reaching her ankles is braided with a multitude of brightly colored lilies of all shapes and sizes, her emerald eyes twinkling merrily. Her dazzling costume of bright sequins and jewels amaze the crowd, who in unison howl at seeing their favorite idol on stage.

_Cause every time we touch, _

 _I get this feeling  _

_And every time we kiss, _

 _I swear I can fly _

 _Can't you feel my heart beat fast, _

 _I want this to last,  _

_Need you by my side  _

_'Cause every time we touch,  _

_I feel the static,  _

_And every time we kiss, _

 _I reach for the sky,  _

_Can't you hear my heart beat slow_

_I can't let you go, _

_Want you in my life!_

And so went the night, the singer driving her fans wild with song after song, some slow, some energetic, but always full of power that was echoed in the thousands of screaming spectators. After all, Flora Hyacinthus, more commonly known as Flor, was one of England's biggest stars, and her popularity was rocketing around the world.

Finally came the glorious end, full of show, colors, and the shower of flower petals that was a trademark for Flor. Amidst the hurricane of rainbow-colored little petals, Flor shouted, "Thank you for coming! I hope you had as much fun as I did tonight. I love you all!"

While the crowd roared in her favor once more, Flor gave a sweeping bow as the raised platform she had been standing on slowly sank into the ground. After a last burst of light, the arena went dark, the dome still ringing with cries for an encore.

*˜*˜*

"Baby, that was beautiful!" A tall woman with a spotless blue suit accosted her client as she climbed down from the raised platform she had been standing on during the final moments of the show. "We sold out, and your performance was just _inspiring_! Your record sales are going through the **roof**! Flora Hyacinthus, you are a PHENOMENON!"

"Thank you," winced the starlet as she tottered back to her dressing room on four-inch platform shoes. According to Miss Collins, her agent, Flor's slender 5 foot 2 frame was too tiny to be properly seen from the audience, so heels were a must.

As Miss Collins went on gushing about her miracle client, Flor plopped down on her padded stool and started to take her stage costume off. While Flor dearly appreciated everything Miss Collins had done for her these pasts few years, she was a little excitable. After a long and strenuous performance, Flor was a little too tired to put up with her agent at the moment.

"Miss Collins – " started the redhead.

"Andrea, sweetie. Now that you're my number one client, we are on first name basis! Besides, it makes me feel old." Andrea quickly jotted something down on her palm pilot and looked up expectantly.

"It's just – I'm a little tired and I was wondering if I could – you know, continue this conversation tomorrow – "

"Oh, of course! But before I go…" Andrea stood up and pulled out her wand. She lightly tapped Flor's head, and suddenly, The singer's ankle length hair turned a softer color, still vibrantly red, but with gold flecks in it, and it shortened drastically, to end up in the middle of Flor's back. Her emerald eyes became less striking, morphing into a lovely mix of bottle green cool blue. Finally, her white porcelain complexion turned once more peachy, with a sprinkling of freckles covering her body lightly, like powdered cinnamon.

And just like that, Flora Hyacinthus became Lily Evans once again.

"Thank you," murmured Lily, blinking owlishly as she reached for her glasses. When she was Flor, her eyes had 20/20 vision, but when the appearance-altering spell was lifted, her eyes went back to their normal 10/20 sight, rendering Lily blind as a bat without her glasses.

Andrea smiled kindly at her cute little charge. Andrea had never been a very good at magic and academics, but she was persistent, and best of all, lucky. When she had stumbled upon this little gem four years earlier at a recital, she had immediately known that Lily Evans was a star, or at least, had the potential to be _big_.

_____________________fLaShBaCk_________________________________________

_Little 12-year-old Lily was oblivious to the world as she let her minute fingers glide over the piano pieces, weaving an enchantment with her voice and talent at a little studio on Diagon Alley. It had taken her nearly a year to scrape the money to buy a membership card to the Music Box club, but it had been worth it._

_Andrea sighed in disgust. Her new client, a snotty 14-year-old, was once again late to her appointment at the Music Box to practice her mediocre singing skills. She had been all right at the beginning, but she was now insufferable, already thinking herself a big star, not practicing her songs, forgetting appointments…_

_The tirade was stopped short as Andrea heard a haunting melody, just barely in earshot. She found herself drawn to the beautiful medley of pure voice and magical playing. Her ears led her to a small little room, occupied by a girl and a piano. The child paid no attention to the fact that she had an audience. Andrea felt a big grin erupting on her face. She had finally received her big break._

_____________________FlAsHbAcK________________________________________

"When you go back to Hogwarts, I want you to rest up, alright? With all those classes you take, when the weekend rolls around, you're like a limp flower that hasn't been watered in a days." Andrea chuckled at her own little pun, and then suddenly frowned.

"You know, maybe I could write another letter to that Defense Against the Dark Arts professor of yours. She gives you too much homework, and she never did answer back to that first letter I sent…"

Lily nearly choked on her herbal tea at those words. The last thing she needed was a repeat performance of what had happened last year: to keep incognito about her "identity", Lily had been put through a number of grueling tasks to intercept Andrea's letter before it reached her prickly teacher, Professor Burns. Already that the young teacher had taken an instant dislike to one of her star pupils years before, a letter from that student's agent demanding less homework would have marked Lily Evans' imminent death.

"Oh, please, no, Andrea it's really not necessary." Lily got up and started to gently yet firmly lead Andrea out of her room. "It's nothing really… Don't concern yourself. I'll Owl you tomorrow then, toodles!" And before Andrea could utter one squawk of protest, the door was firmly shut and bolted.

Lily sighed and rubbed her eyes. Andrea was right; this double life was starting to get to her. At first, it had been fun, to go out at night and be an international rising star/idol, and return at dawn to Hogwarts and morph back into shy, bookworm-queen Lily Evans, nerd extraordinaire, but it wasn't so fun anymore, making sure your secret never got out (fame being already enough of a pressure, Lily was very firm on remaining anonymous at school so as not to be distracted), staying up all night recording or dancing or practicing songs, and coming up with more and more excuses to keep teachers and friends at bay. It was getting a little too hectic.

After changing out of her costume into her pajamas, Lily was so tired, she barely remembered flooing out of her dressing room and into her private rooms that she used on weekends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, taking of her glasses and plopping down on her bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow, never knowing that at right this moment, she was under scrupulous scrutiny, and in a very short while, life as Lily knew it was going end abruptly, ushering in a new era… of chaos and madness.

**C/Z: So? Let me know what you think! :)**


	2. A Flower's Life

**C/Z: Hey! I'm just going to keep rolling with this one for a bit… See what happens.**

Chapter 2: A Flower's Life

Lily was drowning in a sea of petals. They kept falling from the sky, and no matter how much she tried to swim or escape the tsunami of cloying petals, it was all in vain, and soon the petals reached high over her head. Before long the only thing that was visible was her hand, outstretched, begging for help that would never come…

Lily sat up and blinked. It had to be the third time this week that she had a dream like that. What could it mean? That she was getting in over her head?

_Like I need a dream to tell me that_, thought Lily grumpily as she jumped out of her comfy bed. Since she had been at the arena all day yesterday, working on her singing career, today was going to be entirely devoted to finishing up her homework, especially that paper for Professor Burns. It had to be flawless; no reason to give the woman another excuse to rag on Lily.

In five minutes was up and dressed in her school uniform, even though it was a Sunday. Once, last year, during 5th year, Lily had been wearing jeans and a t-shirt when a Hufflepuff had innocently pointed out her vague resemblance to a famous singer, Flora Hyacinthus. Traumatized at the though that her secret could be revealed, Lily had since eschewed any clothes that were not her school uniform.

Arriving in the Great Hall, Lily plopped herself down at the Gryffindor table, and had just started on her piece of toast when she was interrupted by Alice Carroll and Aishwarya Baduri, also known as Ace and Aisha.

Alice was the primordial Alice in wonderland; a half-blood witch with fair skin, blue eyes and blond hair, she often joked that when she had arrived at Hogwarts, she had fell through the Looking Glass into Wonderland. Alice was a literary fiend.

Aishwarya Baduri, on the other hand, was native to India, but was born and raised in England, where the Baduris was one of the richest of most influential families in the wizarding world. Aisha had no qualms, however, at being friends with a muggleborn and a half-blood, unlike many of her pureblood cousins. Aisha had long brown hair with light green eyes, a gift from her English grandmother.

"Lily!" squealed Alice. "Gosh, I haven't seen you in ages! Where were you yesterday? Halloween is coming up, and you haven't made a single shop at Hogsmeade for a costume."

Lily shrugged. "Why would I want a costume?" She suddenly grimaced. "We're not having a ball, are we?"

Aisha rolled her eyes. "As if. No, remember, we're all having different activities for Halloween this year. Um… I think first years are staying here in the castle for games, second years are going on a treasure hunt in the grounds, third years…"

"Aren't they going on trick or treating in Hogsmeade?"

"You're right, Ace. Well, I can't remember what the rest of them are doing, but us 6th years are having a costume party."

"Wait a second," added Lily. "We're prefects, so wouldn't we be watching the younger classes or something?"

For a second, Aisha and Alice looked horrified, until Lily burst into laughter. "You should see your faces!" Ace looked confused for a second, but then her face contorted in mock anger.

"Were you _teasing_ us, Lily dear? Well, tease this!" Alice then grabbed a spoonful of marmalade and lobbed it at Lily, who just moved her toast in the path of the projectile. The redhead bit into it with gusto. "Mmmm…. Tasty."

Aisha was giggling to herself. "Oh, Lily, that was wretched. You know how much I'm looking forward to this party.'

Lily gave her friends a cute smile. "That's what made it so _fun_." Lily then glanced at her watch. "Ooo, I have to go. Gotta finish that essay for Burns."

"Ouch," winced Alice. "Gosh, I don't know why she hates you so much. She's so nice to everyone else. Good luck with that."

"Thanks, see you at lun-"

"Wait a sec, Lils. Where were you yesterday? We missed you at dinner."

Lily bit her lips. She was going to have to tell them the truth someday, but both, just like the rest of Hogwarts had fallen for the pop idol Flora Hyacinthus, a big star both in the muggle and wizarding world. Lily just couldn't handle the drama that would come with this news right at the moment, even if she did hate lying to her friends.

"Well, I was at the library. You know, research. See you later," she added lamely and hurried away, realizing as she saw her friends' faces full of puzzlement that she would have to deal with this new issue, and quick. Aisha and Alice were getting wise to her game.

˜

James Potter yawned, his eyes half opened as he stared groggily at a large cup of tea. Note to self: if you're going to party until 6, not a good idea to get up at 8.

Well, what else could be expected of James Harold Potter, Hogwarts' own demigod, heir of one of England's most powerful families in both the wizard and muggle world, nephew to one of the World's greatest late Quidditch players, leader of the fab four (three; there's nothing fab about Peter), Hogwart's Marauders? It was practically a job requirement to party well and party hard, but still pull of excellent grades, crush the other Quidditch teams, and look absolutely _eatable_ – at the same time!

"Ha ha!" crowed Sirius Black, thumping his friend on the back. "Not easy living a rock star, now is it?"

"Oh, bloody hell, Sirius," swore James as he sloshed hot tea on his pants.

"Well, it got your eyes open, didn't it?" said Remus Lupin reasonably, which was common of him, since he was the only rational person in the group. Remus pulled back his tawny hair out of his hazel eyes, shrugging at his friend, who was still mopping his lap.

Sirius, whose deep black hair had fallen in his chocolate brown eyes once more, pulled an elastic band from his pocket and tied his shoulder length hair back. He then proceeded to attack the breakfast table, with a "where's Wormtail" mumbled through soldiers and eggs.

James tousled his short black-bluish hair and rolled his indigo eyes. "Still in bed, I suppose. How should I know?"

"Ooh, touchy, touchy, this morning, I see," giggled a sultry voice from behind James. His girlfriend, Buttercup Tomlinson, sat down next to James and gave him a little kiss on his cheek. "What, partied too hard last night?"

Buttercup was tall, a mere 3 inches shorter that James own 6 foot 1 frame. Her long straight dirty blond hair was always hanging loose, perfectly styled, while her brown-blue eyes fluttered in James' direction. The two fit together so well, even though they were quite different. Buttercup could be a tad materialistic (who wouldn't be, when your father was at the head of a multi-million dollar company?), but she did study and take difficult classes. Buttercup, who was always followed by a posse her friends, had always been on the sheltered, pampered side, while James really would rather get down and dirty. But of course, they had been dubbed from the start of their relationship as teen royalty at Hogwarts, and everyone agreed they looked so good together.

"Course not, babe," replied James offhand, return his girlfriend's kiss.

Sirius promptly catcalled and whistled, while Remus rolled his eyes heaven ward. Another day in the company of these three: James and Buttercup sucking face, with Sirius snickering in the background. Great.

˜

Alice snorted in James' direction, who was still kissing Buttercup. "Ew. Get a _room_."

Aisha raised her eyebrows at that. "Oh, ho ho. Look who's calling the kettle black."

Alice looked up defensively. "What? Frank and me? Oh, please. We've only been on three dates together, if you can call them that. And besides, he only kissed me once, on the corner of my lips." However, Aisha noted that her friend had turned a delicate rosy pink at those words.

"We have never actually had any full-frontal snoging, my ignorant friend, and certainly never in front of all of Hogwarts. Why, think of all those innocent first years!" Alice gestured at two first-year Gryffindor, who were ogling the scene that was unfolding. Alice banged her spoon on her glass. "Hey, you two! Keep your eyes on your plate!"

The two boys turned purple and immediately shifted their attention to the eggs in front of them. Aisha laughed softly.

"Well, you can't say those two don't deserve each other, Ace.'

"They really do. He's a jerk and she a bi-" Aisha cleared her throat, looking meaningfully at the two first years, who were shoveling food in their mouths and discreetly listening to the ongoing conversation.

Ace rolled her eyes. "What I mean is, James Potter is full of himself and Buttercup – God, what a stupid name – Tomlinson is a spoiled, pampered brat."

"She's not evil, Alice."

"No, she's not, but she's not nice, either. And the worst part is, she doesn't even know how mean she really can be. Miss Buttercup is so wrapped up in her own life that she doesn't notice how much she hurts others with her money and thoughtless comments. I mean you, Aish, your family has money and power, but you don't flaunt it in everyone's face."

Aisha looked into her plate. "You have a point; she's like a child, not thinking about the consequences of her words or actions." Aisha smiled cynically. "Unfortunately, that seems to be quite of a common problem among the rich and famous."

Alice raised her glass of pumpkin juice. "Hear, hear."

˜

Lily was scribbling away furiously at her parchment paper in the library when a furious tapping startled her out of her studies. Looking up, Lily spotted her jet-black owl, Minuit, who was hovering outside one of the Library windows.

Casting a furtive glance around, the petite 6th year Gryffindor cautiously got up and opened the window to admit her pet in, who was apparently carrying some sort of magazine. Lily stroked her owl's head, gave him a treat, and let him go outside once more before she closed the window and tiptoed back to her desk. Yes! Mission accomplished.

Tapping her feet against the hardwood floor to the beat of her new single, Lily opened the magazine, an edition of Witch Weekly magazine. What she saw on the cover made her freeze immediately. Lily's hands started to tremble and her face went white as a sheet, making her freckles stand out even more.

The cover of a magazine sported a moving picture of Flora Hyacinthus, all decked out in stage costume, sitting at a table, reading what appeared to be a book and jotting some notes down on a piece of parchment. The title of the article was splashed above the picture.

"X-TRA! SINGING SENSATION FLOR TO BE STUDENT AT HOGWARTS!'

**C/Z: So? D'you like? Remember, R and R, or I'll have to stop… :(**


	3. A Flower's Worry

A/N: Hullo! Here's a new chap. BTW… Guys, I'm not doing this for the review, but for you guys. Reviews indicate to me that my story and writing is on the right track if you like it, or it gives me tips on how to improve. If no one reviews, that means I'm doing something wrong… But, you guys apparently like, so anchors away! Sorry it's late… :(

Chapter Three: A Flower's Worry 

A note was pinned to the newspaper with the detrimental headline. On it was her manager's scrawl.

_This was going to be next week's issue. I'm doing my best right now to get it suppressed, but I will probably lose, and anyways, this is going to get out one way or another. This process will buy you a few weeks of peace, but you don't have long. Time for damage control._

Lily drew a shaky breath. A few weeks before Hogwarts erupts into mad chaos… That did not leave her much time. Lily opened the magazine to the article and quickly scanned it.

_At night, she is one of the Wizarding World's shining stars, the inspiration to millions of schoolgirls all over the country, both witches and muggles… When all along, she had been one of them!_

_That's right – our intrepid Newswitches have learned that the famous singer, Flora Hyacinthus, may very well be a student at our very own Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Though we have been unable to determine what year or house she is in, it is undeniable she follows the curriculum set only by Hogwarts._

The article went on to site 'experts' who deemed that the book Flor had been studying had a stamp on one of it's pages (a picture of the page in question was then displayed) that was Hogwarts' own seal, marking the book as to be part of it's Library. Since only students where allowed to check books out, the natural conclusion – and the right one – to crop up would be that Flor studied at Hogwarts.

This was terrible news. Hogwarts was a relatively smallish school, with about 2,000 people or less. Half of these were boys, and since Flor would be too old to be anything below a fourth year, it would be whittled down to just a small number of eligible girls – Lily being one of them.

One advantage Lily had was that while she was not a social leper, she was also no queen bee, meaning she wouldn't feel the immediate glare of the spotlight.

However, she had little delusions about how quickly every girl who have entered puberty at Hogwarts was going to find themselves under the microscope, to be examined by everyone: students, and through them parents, teachers, reporters, employees…

With a lack of a better term, the witch-hunt for Flor would soon begin, and Lily had no idea if people were going to guess the truth. Actually, she was pretty sure they would. It would only be a matter of time.

Lily bit her lip so hard, she only knew she was bleeding when a few ruby red spots hit her paper. The redhead winced, and as a method of distraction, turned her attention back to her essay.

But she couldn't shake of the doomsday feeling that the countdown to absolute hysteria had begun.

That night, at dinner, Lily was so completely out of it, she didn't even notice what she was eating.

Alice and Aisha did, though.

"For Goodness' sake, Lils!" exclaimed Alice as Lily almost sprinkled powdered sugar on her vegetables. "What's gotten into you!"

The blond girl reached over and grabbed the shaker out of her friend's hand before she wrecked anymore havoc on her dinner.

"Um… Oh, sorry guys. I'm just a little absent minded tonight, I guess."

"A little?" snorted Aisha. "Did writing that essay for Burns burn _your_ brains, Lily?"

Lily smiled thinly. "Something like that."

At the end of the meal, Alice clapped her hands excitedly. "Ooh, I am so excited! Tonight, we receive our final costume posting for the party."

"Huh?" asked Lily, completely confused.

"Well, since you weren't here yesterday, I do suppose you missed it. Everyone attending the 6th year Halloween party had to sign up for a costume yesterday – "

" – because some idiot Hufflepuff last year dressed up as some famous Muggle porn star or another, Amela Panderson or something, just to impress her ex – "

"And well, let's just say Prof Lawrence was NOT happy – "

" – So now, we all had to sign up for a costume, with a second choice if someone already signed up for your first choice –"

" – So Ace and I signed you up yesterday since we couldn't find you –"

" – And the good news is, they go by alphabetical order for your first picks, and since I'm Carroll, Aisha is Baduri, and you're Evans, we're pretty much guaranteed our first pick."

Lily narrowed her eyes at her friends. "I see… So, what did you sign me up for?"

Alice scrunched her face. "Um… I remember first choice – that was a fairy sprite for you. Second choice was – "

But too late; before she could answer, Professor Bins, an elderly History of Magic teacher, got up and threw a bunch of parchment pieces in the air, announcing in his rattly voice that those were the costume choices for the 6th year party. Obediently, the parchments zoomed to their prospective owners, under the excited eyes of six years and the curious eyes of the rest of the school.

Soon, a paper landed in front of Aisha. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "A djinn! (**A/N: a genie**) First pick! I've got a fab costume for it too, from my Aunt Wari. It belonged to a real djinn, too."

Alice opened her paper and scowled. "Oh, got my second choice."

"Oh no, Ace!" said Lily. "I'm sorry."

Alice shrugged. "Oh, well. I wanted to be the rabbit from _Alice in Wonderland_, but I guess some other tart got to that before I did."

She glanced pointedly at a Ravenclaw, who was crowing to her friends that she had found the most _adorable_ bunny ears at a shop in Hogsmeade for the party.

"So, what are you? Not the Cheshire Cat, I pray?"

Alice laughed sheepishly. "Alice from _Alice in Wonderland_."

Aisha and Lily laughed. "How fitting."

"Well, it was my second choice because I thought it would be a little corny, but it's fine."

Lily glanced down at her plate to discover that while she had been talking with her friends, her paper had landed on her plate. She opened it up, absolutely convinced to see 'fairy' scrawled on the paper. What she saw made her blood run cold and the air shoot out of her lungs.

"**_Flora Hyacinthus_**!"

A half hour later, as Lily lay on her bed, a cold compress on her forehead, she heard the door to the 6th year dormitory open. Thinking it to be Aisha and Alice back from their hospital wing raid for migraine potion, the redhead sat up and was about to push the curtains to her four-poster bed aside –

"Urh!" groaned Buttercup Tomlinson as she came in her dormitory, flinging her robes on her luxurious bed. She didn't even notice how the curtains of the bed to the far right of hers twitched, hiding its occupant from peering eyes.

"I'm so mad. I was so sure I'd get it! I mean, who else would think of dressing up as Flor to our party?"

A girl with long legs and curly auburn hair plopped down on her bed, kicking her heels off. "Someone did, apparently."

As Buttercup shot her a venomous look, a pair of twins with light brown hair and blond streaks chorused, "So, what are you going as?" They then giggled, making it obvious that they had planned to speak at the same time.

Buttercup pursed her Luscious Lavender lips. "I'm a Healer Nurse. But I only put this as my second because I knew that Hufflepuff tart London York wanted to be one."

The auburn girl shrugged. "At least she'll be pissed."

One of the giggly twins frowned. "Tessa, wasn't London York the girl who dressed up as an Adult movie star last year for the Dress Ball?"

"I think so, Tara. What do you think, Fran?"

The curly auburn rolled her eyes. "What do I care?"

As Buttercup grabbed her pajamas and made her way into the bathroom, she muttered, "I'd _love_ to know who exactly is going as Flor…"

Lily drew back and rolled herself up in a little ball. _I'd love to know who exactly is going as Flor_… Lily doubted Buttercup wanted this information to swap makeup advice.

Now she had gotten on Buttercup Tomlinson's bad side, which would cause some friction, but what was worse was that she had now gotten on all of Buttercup's posse's bad side, who, including the Marauders and a number of rich and powerful students, would very well be able to make Lily's life very unpleasant.

What had Alice been thinking? She had confessed to Lily that the only reason that she had signed her up to be Flor was because she had overheard Buttercup talking about what she wanted to be. And since Alice hated Buttercup because of the incident from their 3rd year…

_Great…_ thought Lily as she rolled over. _This was **just** what I needed. Not._

But just as Lily's eyelids began to sink as she gave herself up to sleep, she got an idea. It was such an incredibly brilliant, incredibly _stupid_ idea that Lily had no clue if she was a genius or just crazy. But this idea could very easily – if everything goes well – solve all of her problems in one magical evening.

Of course, if even the slightest thing went wrong, it would be the end of Lily Evans, but at that moment, the girl in question was so desperate for a solution, she decided to risk it.

And so began Lily Evans' most daring and senseless plan, the one that would change everything in her life – for better or worse… Which one? Well, that remains to be seen.

A/N: Sorry its late! I just went on vacation so writing has been a tad tough for the moment. Forgive and Review! THANX, and happy vacations!


	4. A Flower's Mad Idea

**A/N: Hullo! OMG. Just came back from London from vacation!!! Vair vair cool; even went to King's Cross and saw that they had put up a Platform 9 ****3/4****! It was great. If you have the opportunity to go, go! So here we are. THANX to all my reviewers and silent supporters. Lots of luv!**

Chapter 4: A Flower's (mad) Idea 

James Potter was feeling great. Not only did he have a lovely, if sometimes smothering girlfriend, great friends, a successful academic career, and mad Quidditch skills, but also the Marauders had once more managed to stump Hogwarts ruling class, the teachers. He could spend all morning watching the newly appointed Gryffindor Head, Transfiguration sourpuss Prof McGonagall run around, trying to change Hogwarts' ghost population back to normal pearly white color, instead of the virulent fluos they had been turned into.

Stamped on the Bloody Baron's back was the Marauder's calling card: a mock-coat of arms, similar to Hogwarts, but in place of the Gryffindor lion was a white stag, instead of the Ravenclaw eagle was a black dog, a huge grey wolf replaced the Hufflepuff badger, and a brown rat usurped the Slytherin serpent. The four animals surrounded a huge 'M', which everyone knew stood for Marauders. It was all anyone could talk about.

Yes, life was good for James, only… Only his parents were on his back again, demanding that he started being more careful (a few weeks ago James had taken a tumble off his broom as he caught the Snitch and got hit by a Bludger at the same time during a Slytherin match; he stayed unconscious for three days. Everyone thought it was a great story, except, of course, James' olds, as usual), getting into trouble less, and concentrate on his studies.

James, as usual, ignored the angry letters, and froze any howlers his mother might send him; it had taken him many sleepless nights and many, many howlers to perfect the spell, but it had been well worth it.

So, on this morning, James was whistling a happy tune as her sat in the Gryffindor common room, writing a letter to the Potter's butler asking him to send over his deceased Uncle's Quidditch robes for the Halloween party.

Harold Potter, Harry or Hars to intimates, had been James' idol since he was a small child. Hars had been an international Quidditch star, the most skilled Seeker to have ever entered a pitch, as many said, before his untimely death during a particularly rough Quidditch final. Harry Jameson Potter died on the Quidditch field that day, his left hand firmly clasping the Golden Snitch, and on that day, while he went to the Heavens, he also joined the greatest Quidditch legends.

For the party, James only saw fitting to wear his namesakes' robes, and properly honor his Uncles' memory by partying hard in them (something else Hars had been particularly notorious for).

As so, James was quite startled when someone stumbled down the girl's dormitory steps and almost fell into his lap.

Lily was so excited the next morning to put her plan in motion that she stumbled down the dormitory steps and almost fell in James Potter's lap, who (evidently) looked surprised to see a 5" 3 bespectacled redhead tumble down on him.

Using his fabulous Quidditch reflexes, James leapt up and grabbed the girl's arms before she fell.

Lily immediately righted herself, mumbled an apology to the boy she had fallen on (she barely registered that she had almost knocked down the great James Potter), and ran out of the common room, eager to send her owls.

James looked back at the crazy redhead (3rd year? 4th year?) as she ran out of the room. He shook his head and went back to his letter.

Lily was about to send an owl to her costumer, when she reconsidered. No. Better be very public about her attire for the party, than inconspicuous. Lily giggled at how devilishly clever her Machiavellic plan was becoming, telling herself that if her next album tanked, she could always work as a spy for the Ministry instead.

Buttercup ran to James, latching herself to his arm. "Oh, Hogsmeade trip!!! I _love_ Hogsmeade trips."

James grinned down at her. While he might not imagine himself with her for the rest of his life, she really did make life a lot more fun. "Oh, do you? I thought you liked the part when I get you whatever you want."

Buttercup sniffed at him airily. "Its not like I can't afford it."

"Too true."

Lily ran over to join Alice and Aisha as they waited for the horseless carriages to take them to Hogsmeade.

"Lily!" cried Alice, surprised. "I didn't know you were coming. You normally never come to Hogsmeade trips."

At that announcement, several people, including the popular group of the Marauders, turned around and glanced curiously at Lily as she approached. Usually, Lily would have mumbled something noncommittally and tried to make herself less noticeable to everyone, but this time, she threw her head back and waved cheerfully. It was important that everyone see her today.

"Hullo!" she cried. "I need a dress for next week's party, so I decided to come."

Lily's manager had signed her permission slip to go on Hogsmeade trips, which was a nasty reminder at how she had no real family.

Her parents had died in a car crash when she had only been a little girl, leaving her and her older sister Petunia homeless. Petunia, the eldest, had been taken in by their grandparents, but little Lily had been given to an orphanage, as her grandparent's house was too small to take her in as well, at least for the moment.

Lily would have eventually joined her family with her older sister and her religious, conservative but loving grandparents when their financial situation would have allowed it. And then, of course, came the fateful Hogwarts letter…

Aisha gave her a surprised but pleased look. "Its good to see you come. I know you don't really like these trips."

Tessa and Tara, the annoying twins, who had been listening in on the conversation (as they always do), suddenly piped up. "Why would any normal person not **adore** going to Hogsmeade?"

Well, Lily wasn't about to share her intimate feelings with a bunch of nosy kids, so instead, she shivered and just said, "Well, I never liked those horses that draw the carriages…"

Tara and Tessa burst into such annoying laughter that even Buttercup, James, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin turned around to see what the fuss was about.

"Horses?" snickered Tessa.

"There are none! If you didn't know – "

"These are horseless carriages!"

Lily turned pink and was about to walk away when James said, "I see them."

Sirius and Remus nodded as well. "Yeah, right there."

Buttercup frowned. "What are you going on about?"

Remus gestured towards the carriages. "These are drawn by some special horses – I can't remember what their called, but I do know that only people who've seen someone die can see them." His eyes shadowed. "When I was 13 my cousins got drunk one night and got into a wizard's duel."

"Oh no!" cried Tara dramatically. "Did they _curse themselves to __**death**_?"

"Actually, no," chuckled Remus wryly. "One of was so drunk he stumbled on his robes and fell against the table. Broken neck."

There were murmurs and winces of solidarity among the small group that was listening in.

Sirius shrugged. "Well, it's not as exciting, but when I was 9, my Great Uncle Bailiwick died. Had the whole family come in to hear his final words on his deathbed." He rolled his eyes. "Not like anyone actually understood what he said."

Titters of amusement rang around; the crowd around the famous quartet had gotten larger.

Finally James said, at the prompting of Buttercup ("Jimmy, why can _you_ see those awful beasts?"), "I was at my Uncle's last match, when I was 8."

A uniform gasp and whispers followed this announcement. ("Did he mean Hars Potter? The Hars Potter?")

"Got to say goodbye to him, in his last moments." His eyes were far away, and the tension was so thick it had become tangible; no one dared move, much less talk. The silence was broken by James' chuckle. "God, what a match that was!"

Everyone laughed and joined in, all describing their favorite moments of the infamous final. Suddenly, Fran Von Boonton, a girl with curly brownish-carrot hair, turned to Lily. She had noticed the small girl did not like being in the center of attention, and Fran's favorite pastime was to make people uncomfortable.

Immediately silence reigned once more as people gazed expectedly at Lily, wondering how such a timid creature would have gotten her nose out of a book long enough to witness someone's death (at least, that's what Buttercup was thinking).

Lily shrugged, turning pink once more. "In the orphanage, one of my roommates got sick, and, well, it was too late to get help, so…"

There were a few startled glances around ("Orphanage?" "Too late?"), but Lily was spared from having to elaborate by the arrival of the horseless carriages (at least, for some). Lily hurried to climb into a carriage with Alice and Aisha, each of them with their own thoughts: Alice being thoroughly disgusted at having participated to a conversation that had included Buttercup Tomlinson, air-head Du Jour; Aisha surprised to see the normally very private Lily open up in front of a group of strangers; Lily alternating between cursing her stupid ideas and congratulating herself at the same time for her wisdom. People were going to remember this conversation, which was exactly what she wanted.

Hogsmeade was, as usual, picture perfect. It looked cheerfully ready for next week's Halloween celebrations, and the shops were already swamped with eager students. Of course, there was a small crowd of first comers third years that were openly gaping at the Shrieking Shack, which, not two nights ago, had once again been overrun with the army of monstrous ghosts that inhabited the place.

Lily smiled, still a little uncomfortable at being in a populated village without dark sunglasses and many appearance-altering charms, so that no one could recognize her. This time, she had settled for a green cap that covered her whole head, so that not one strand of red hair escaped.

Lily winced and fiddled with her cap when she passed Honeydukes.

They had a poster on their window advertising Candied Floras, real flower petals that had been coated with all kinds of delicious treats: spun sugar, molten fruit, chocolate, ect. The poster advertised that these were "Flora Hyacinthus's favorite treat!" Next to it was a picture a Flor herself, sitting cross-legged with a box of Floras in front of her. She was waving at passerbies and gesturing towards the shop's door, clearly urging the people to come in.

A bunch of first years squealed excitedly.

"Heee! Look, it's Flor!"

"Heee! Let's get some!"

"Heee! Me too!"

"Heee! Gna gna gna," imitated Alice, wrinkling her nose at the excitable girls. "God, you'd think they worship her or something."

"They do," replied Lily glumly. "They send fan mail _every single week_. They even started a Flor Fan Club."

Lily didn't realize what she had said until Alice and Aisha shot her a very weird look. It was then Lily realized that she shouldn't, logically, know that kind of information.

Turning pink, Lily mumbled something about overhearing the girls in the common room, and then changed the subject by proposing to go into Honeydukes and get some candy.

Nodding, but still slightly puzzled, Alice and Aisha followed their tiny friend into the shop.

When Lily finally fought her way to the front counter, she gasped, "One medium box of Candied Floras with one of everything, but hold the salt-water mint taffy daffodil." When Lily had been at the orphanage, the cheapest candy available had been saltwater taffy, and Lily had suffered from a saltwater taffy overdose at age 10. Since, she couldn't stand the taste of the sweet treat.

The lady at the counter gave her a huge wink. "Another girlie whose read Witch Weekly, huh? Nowadays, all the girls order the same box; medium with all EXCEPT saltwater daffs. I make 'em in advance, they're so popular!"

With a hearty laugh, she plopped down a fuchsia box on the counter; on the box, hundreds of petals of every color of the rainbow flew around in beautiful patterns until the all joined together to spell out "CANDIED FLORAS" before the words burst once more into hundreds of petal showers.

Lily once more fiddled with her cap, making sure her hair was covered before leaving a small handful of Knuts and Sickles on the counter and slinking out of the store.

As she left Honeydukes, she heard the Flor fans squealing at the Candied Floras.

"Looooook! Flor's on it! She's dressed like a fairy and she's flying around the box! Heeeeee!"

Lily sighed once more. This fame business was exhausting.

Finally, Lily, Aisha and Alice made it in time to Roberta's Resplendent Robes. Every Halloween, Roberta made a separate section of her store devoted to fantasy dresses and costumes. The store was jam packed, but Ace managed to force her way in, holding Lily and Aisha's hands.

Once at the costume section, Lily was just wondering what should she do to find a dress when a harassed looking blond girl bumped into her. She was working at the shop, as her green and purple tag announced, "Martha M. Malkins".

Lily blinked, then asked tentatively, "Marthie? Marthie Malkins? Is that you?"

Marthie Malkins was a diehard Flor fan that sent Flora Hyacinthus fan mail regularly. Lily had finally managed the time to write her a letter, but had never found the time to mail it. As it was, in Lily's messenger bag was just a pack of letters, fan mail responses that she had been going to mail through Untraceable Owls at the Owl Post Office (Lily never used her own owl for fan mail, for fear of having the bird traced back to her), and in that pack, was a letter to Marthie.

The girl paused, and shooting a distracted glance at Lily, was about to respond when Lily noticed that she had a little pin in the shape of a flower that constantly changed colors attached to her robes, marking her as a member of the Official Flora Hyacinthus Fan Club, 'Flor's Friends'. (Personally, Lily had always thought it was a tad corny, but apparently the crowds loved it.)

Lily didn't think. She only saw Marthie's exhausted, _dulled_ gaze, as if catering to the whims of spoiled, demanding schoolgirls had used her so thoroughly, she was already far away. Lily only saw that as Marthie talked to her, asking her how she knew her nickname, the blond kept fiddling with the flowered pin, as if it was the only thing that kept her from just slapping the next girl that asked her if her costume could be made just a _tad_ tighter.

"I'm with the Postal Services," Lily heard herself saying. "We received this letter for you some time ago, but due to some late storms, its delivery was delayed." And the next thing Lily knew, she had given the letter to Marthie, who's eyes went wide and mouth went slack, and the next moment Marthie had grabbed her hand and had dragged her to a less crowded part of the shop.

Marthie sat on a stool in the robe shop. She kept sending letters to Flor as often as she could, and sometimes received things like an autographed photo, which Marthie had framed, or coupons for a discount on a ticket to Flor's next concert, which Marthie always used.

Marthie had always dreamed of opening her own dress shop, and she and she had become besotted with Flor since the first time she saw her, not just for her beautiful and catchy melodies, but mostly for her beautiful, extravagant costumes.

The first time Marthie had seen her on stage, Flora had been simply stunning in a green sheath dress, all long and narrow, and as the mini performer danced around the stage, flowers began growing all over the dress. It was love at first sight.

So Marthie, who had never been a great witch, started working in Robe Shops, and had ended up at Roberta's, a decent dress maker, even if the Roberta herself was a disagreeable, stingy woman who hardly paid her seamstresses and guarded her robe-making secrets jealously.


	5. A Flower's Plans

**A/N: Hullo, my little cherubs!!!!! (I know, right? My English teacher calls us that. Ick factor.) So, I hope all of you have a pleasant, if not too stressful return back to school and/or work. Hope summer was great for everyone! PS, story plot is Crystal Zelda's, yes yes, but Harry Potter is not mine (durh), nor is Michelle Branch's "Washing Machine". Thank youuuu.**

_Chapter Five: A Flower's Plans_

In the Gryffindor common room, the south wall had been turned by a 7th year into a scryer, tuned to the frequency of the latest Quidditch match, meaning that the wall, instead of sporting its usual cheery wallpaper and portraits, was now showing, live, similarly to a Muggle television, the Quidditch match of Puddlemere United against the Montrose Magpies.

While the Magpies had won more titles that Puddlemere, after the departure of their star Captain Hamish MacFarlan, who had recently stepped down from his post as Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, the team had seemed to lose some of their famous speed and extraordinary tactics.

Tonight, the Magpies were struggling against the brilliant Puddlemere, who in their gorgeous navy blue robes, were dominating the pitch despite heavy rain and thunder.

"Will you look at that!" cried the disembodied voice of the announcer. "Puddlemere is leading a fierce attack on the Magpies, who seem to be vastly incapacitated by tonight's weather…"

The crowd watching the game in the common room, (and a rather large crowd too: almost all of the Gryffindor boys and most of the girls were there), neatly divided into the Puddlemere navy blue and the black and white of Montrose, either cheered for Puddlemere or booed the announcer's comment.

One boy with a back and white striped shirt got up and roared, "Magpies forever!" A girl in blue hurled a pumpkin pasty at him, shushing him.

"And so, the United chasers are now performing – can't really see – yes! They are doing the highly difficult Woollongong Shimmy, to throw of Dubrins and Manor, the Magpies Chasers! It's working! Dubrins is pursuing McAllister and Manor is following Browns, but its really Bloom that has the Quaffle! She flies, she shoots – Landlers performs the famous Starfish and Stick, but the Quaffle slides past him – goal! 10 points for United, making it 80-60 for Puddlemere!"

As one side of the common room erupted in cheers, the other side hooted and threw candy wrappings at the 'screen'. But all fell silent as when the commentator started up again.

"Oh, but look at Puddlemere United's brand new Seeker, Ric Lyon! He and the Magpies Seeker are streaking across the sky together – oh!!!!"

And the whole crowd, both in the stadium and in the common room, exclaimed in wonder and surprise as they saw an enormous lightning bolt split open the sky, hitting straight on – the Golden Snitch!

In the light of the electricity, the little gold ball was very visible, its edges electric blue as the storm continued to rage against it.

The Magpies Seeker drew back cursing, shielding his eyes from the heavenly glow.

But not Lyon, who, instead of shrinking, urged his broom forwards – right into the storm, his hand outstretched for the Snitch.

As he made contact with the object of his desires, the fury of the storm transferred onto him. His long black hair stood straight up, and the edge of his robes caught on fire.

Finally, the lightning disappeared, releasing the man from its throws so the he and the Snitch, still clasped in his hands, hurled towards the ground, 500 feet below.

One girl with a tee shirt emblazed with the two crossed golden bulrushes that represented Puddlemere burst into tears and buried her head in her boyfriend's shoulder, the teen that had shouted his allegiance to the Magpies not two minutes ago. He wore a somber expression as well, but probably more out of the fact that his team had just lost rather than for his fear for Lyon's health.

As the man fell, a great gong sounded out, announcing the end of the game, and almost immediately, a plethora of medi-wizards flooded the pitch, their wands pointed at the fallen Seeker, who started to fall down much more slowly. Once he finally reached the ground, everyone held their breath and leaned closer towards the screen-wall as the magical camera zoomed forwards to the player's inanimate form.

There was a moment of silent as his teammates crowded around him, with the medi-witches pulling them back.

And then, suddenly, a head emerged from the crowd on the field – Lyon, who, leaning on his broom and coughing, held aloft the Golden Snitch. And the crowds went wild.

Lily clapped good-naturedly, laughing as Alice threw herself into Frank's arms, laughing and cheering. She saw him turn crimson with surprise and pleasure when Ace threw her inhibitions to the wind and kissed him right in front of everybody.

Not that anyone was paying attention; Aisha was busy groaning about her team's defeat, along with half the common room, while the other half danced around and gloated to the Magpies.

Lily loved scenes of celebration like that; it reminded her of being on stage, where emotions where always high and the excitement was at its maximum. The little redhead was not really working on a Potions essay for Professor Slughorn, like she had told her friends; she was actually working on her routine for tomorrow's show.

She was going to be performing at a London show tomorrow with a mixed audience of Muggles and Witches, meaning that is was very important for her to keep her show original while banishing magic from the stage. She was also putting the finishing touches on her plans for Halloween night, in three days' time.

But right now, Lily decided to put off work and just sit back and enjoy the sight of Gryffindor in all of its states, laughing, crying, cheering, cursing, while the grinning Lyon was still broadcasted behind the party holding the little golden ball high for all to see.

However, at a second glance, Lily realized that some key people were missing: namely, the three most popular Gryffindors, and their groupie, Peter. With a frown, Lily looked out the window and saw the waning moon outside. It had been a few days since the last full moon, and they always disappeared around that time.

Lily got up to gaze at the window while the party raged on. Sometimes she wondered if one of them wasn't… And if the others hadn't… But no. Lily shook her head. She had no proof to offer supporting that conclusion, and those were serious, very serious, speculations.

Lily was still lost in thought when someone threw a peanut at her head. She blinked, and told herself that she had other things to worry about other than the secret lives of the popular boys.

The next morning, at breakfast while the school was still laughing or bemoaning last night's match, Lily observed Potter, Lupin, Pettigrew, and Black. In all honesty, she wasn't the only one.

Remus Lupin looked terrible; his hair was all spiked up, and he had purple bags under his eyes. Actually, even his bags had bags. He was resting his face in his hands, as if his neck couldn't possibly hold up his head without support.

Sirius Black was silent, a rare occurrence for him, and he had a bruise on his left cheek. He sat meekly next to Peter Pettigrew, who had fallen asleep, his face in his plate.

James Potter looked sickly but wore a light grin, as if he were proud of whatever he had accomplished last night. He was holding an ice bag to his head, his hair was mussed, sticking straight up, as if he had combed it with a livewire, and his glasses were askew on his face. His left hand was bandaged.

James winced and pulled something out of his right hand index. "Splinter," he muttered.

What on Earth had they been doing last night?

Owl post came in; Lily saw a letter was plopped down into James' lap. He opened it, and gave an excited grin to his friends before showing them the letter. Sirius's lethargy disappeared and he started whispering animatedly to James, while Remus groaned and let his head fall down on the table. Peter just slept on.

Aisha glanced up. "Look, Lily, something is coming for you."

And indeed something was coming for Lily; her name was written big on the package. It was wrapped in the sky blue paper theme of Roberta's Radiant Robes. Lily knew it was her dress that she had ordered, but just for good measure, said in a loud voice, "Oh, look! My dress for the party. Just in time."

With a flick of her wand, Lily transported her package up to her room before talking about Halloween again with her friends.

But Lily's attention was once more diverted by Professor Dumbledore's rising from his Headmaster's chair. As he made his way across the Great Hall, waiving merrily at the students while they shouted greetings at him, Lily scrambled to gather her things and got up quickly. Muttering a quick goodbye to a half asleep Aisha and Alice, she jogged as fast as her tiny legs allowed her to catch up with her rambunctious Head.

"Professor Dumbledore!"

The kindly old man turned towards her, but kept going, a welcoming smile blooming on his face.

"Hello, Ms. Lily," he said kindly. "How may I help you?"

"Ummm…. I needed to talk to you about the 6th year Halloween party… Are you planning to have a live band or singer come in?"

"Well," he said, pursing his lips. "I have not addressed the question as of yet. Some of the teachers had suggested hiring a disk jockey, as the children say it, to come in and play whatever is 'tendance' as of yet.

"Unless," he mused, a sly twinkle in his eyes, "You have another suggestion?"

"Funny you should ask!" said Lily brightly. "Actually, I have just learned – through a confidential informant, of course – that Flora Hyacinthus would be interested in playing _herself_ at the party. As part of a promotional tour, so it would be at a reduced rate…"

Professor Dumbledore gazed skyward, as if deep in thought. As they went up a moving staircase, he merely went, "Hmmm."

"Or," Lily rushed, desperate to keep Professor Dumbledore's attention. "It could be free of charge. After all, its to promote her albums and singles, so…"

Dumbledore looked down at Lily, his eyes still dancing with suppressed interest. "Well, would you be attending the party yourself?"

"I… well, yes, of course, but there is something I would need to do at the same time, so a little help would be in order…"

"Yes, yes. I understand… However, Miss Evans, you know the rules…"

"I do, Professor, but at the same time, would it really be breaking them? Bending the rules, certainly, but no one would know the truth, except you and I. And if, by mischance, something were to go wrong, I do know how to defend myself. It isn't much different from what I normally do."

Professor Dumbledore seemed to ponder that answer. Lily, still jogging to keep up with him, held her breath as he thought. Should Professor Dumbledore reject that idea, her whole craft would be put into jeopardy, and plan B was a lot riskier than Plan A.

Dumbledore paused, and turned around to really look at his student, her cheeks flushed, hazel blue eyes bright, trepidation written all over her face.

"Why, dear Lily, such an elaborate plan?"

Lily looked down, but then straightened her shoulders to face her Headmaster. "I suppose Miss Andrea Collins has contacted you about a certain _Witch Weekly_ article that is to be published soon?"

"Yes, I am aware of the situation. I have signaled my displeasure about the situation, but," he sighed suddenly, looking weary. "I am afraid that I am only delaying the inevitable."

Lily nodded. "Exactly. What must come out will come out, and I have accepted that when I entered this world. However, this story will throw the whole school into speculation, and each and every girl will be examined as a possibility." Lily gulped, and fidgeted as she stood. "Sometimes I wonder at how I could have kept this secret for so long, because I know that the minute someone takes a second glance, they will find out. After all," she added with a laugh, "It really is glaringly obvious."

Professor Dumbledore crinkled his eyes in silent laughter, but did not answer.

"With this… whole plot, if you will, the fact that Lily Evans and Flora Hyacinthus were seen in the same room together will throw inquisitors off the trail for a while, leaving me in."

"Yes, my dear, but as you said, only for a while." He looked at her kindly, his eyes a little sad. "People will soon realize, that in a world of magic, the fact that two people were seen at the same time will not negate the possibility that they are one and the same."

Lily whispered, "I know. I know all too well, Professor, but it will give me some _time_, Professor, time that I _need_. Please. I can't handle all of this right now: school, Flora's fame, the media frenzy, keeping the secret… I couldn't handle Lily's fame as well."

Lily closed her eyes, and rubbing the heel of her hand to her forehead, sighed.

Dumbledore patted her shoulder then encouragingly. "Go on, Miss Lily. I will contact Miss Collins and invite Flora Hyacinthus to sing at the Halloween party."

Lily beamed at his then, looking relieved. "Thank you, thank you, Professor. This really means a lot to me."

And then Lily hared off to put the final touches on her plan, hope soaring into her like a balloon ready to take flight.

Dumbledore shook his head after his young charge. She thought she was only adding simplicity to her life, when in fact she was about the complicate it radically. But that was a lesson she needed to learn on her own.

Of course, Professor Dumbledore knew of Lily's double life; after all, she couldn't have pulled it off without his approval or help. However, whenever talking where they could be overheard, they never mentioned specifics, so that passerby's didn't hear anything that could blow Lily's cover. Naturally, if one listened to the entire conversation, they probably could put two and two together quite easily…

Unbestknown to both of them, a shadow lurking around the corner suddenly turned away from the corridor where teacher and student had been talking, to melt away in the darker corners of Hogwarts School.

The crowd roared, the lights streamed, all the spotlight and screens were pointed at Flora Hyacinthus. She grinned at her adoring fans before accepting a guitar from one of her aides and slowly started strumming it. The crowd's screams died down, until silence reigned in the arena, the only sound echoing around being Flor's guitar.

_Your eyes they look so bright_

_A funky flair in my appetite_

_But there's no room for you_

_My feet are on the ground_

_And my head is in the clouds_

_But you still can't break through_

_Whatcha gonna do_

_I'm not just gonna_

_Stand around_

_Waiting for my lips to be read_

_Falling through the_

_Cracks in the ground_

_My feelings need to be said_

_Flowing like water_

_In a crimson melody_

_The orange plastic sun_

_Is shining_

_And the truth so hard to see_

_The rain of your existence_

_If falling down on me_

_And the soapsuds_

_Spread like a disease_

_From my washing machine_

_I'm not just gonna_

_Stand around_

_Waiting for my lips_

_To be read_

_Falling through the_

_Cracks in the ground_

_My feelings need to be said_

_I'm not just gonna_

_Stand around_

_Waiting for you_

_Falling through the_

_Cracks in the ground_

_And I'm hoping that_

_You'll make_

_Your next move_

_That you'll make_

_Your next move_

_I'm not just gonna_

_Stand around_

_Waiting for my lips_

_To be read_

_Falling through the_

_Cracks in the ground_

_My feelings need to be said._

Flor smiled at her fans as they erupted in cheers. Many of them had sung along to the song; it was one of the first ones she had ever written, and a personal favorite.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

**A/N: Again, this song is "Washing Machine", by Michelle Branch's album "Broken Bracelet". Read, Rave and Review!!!! Thanx.**

**SONG 'CONTEST'!!!! **

**I'm looking for some new songs by female artists for Flor to sing; when you review, you can write the name of the artist you would like to 'nominate' (ha!) and the song they sing that you like best. If I choose the song you suggested, I'll dedicate a chapter to you! (Whooo!) Thank you, your input is important to me. See ya later!**


	6. A Flower's Preparations

**A/N: Hi all! Thanks for your support. It's awesome. A little warning, though; this year in school will be charged for me, so I might not be the most regular of authors, but I do promise to do my best. Please bear with me!!**

**SO SORRY THIS IS LATE!**

**THIS CHAPTER IS FOR THE DOLPHINS… hee hee**

_Chapter 6: A Flower's Preparations_

Tomorrow was the Halloween Costume Party. So close, and yet so far away. At least, that's what most of the girls at Hogwarts School thought.

But not miss Lily Evans, who had been working like a maniac these last few days to iron out the details in her plan.

After much debate, Lily decided to keep Flor's visit a surprise. She told herself it was because it would be much easier to concentrate if the school wasn't even in more of an uproar for the 6th year ball (many of the other non-6th years were very jealous of the party), but the real reason was that she just wanted to see the look on everyone's face as Flora Hyacinthus appeared.

It had taken time, coordination, and Lily had hardly slept these past few nights, practicing her spells to make sure nothing would go wrong.

Lily was not about to use a Time Turner: to keep track of mischief done by objects who had the property to travel in time, the Ministry of Magic had recently set up very strict rules about them, issuing Ministry-operated Turners. These Turners were issued sparingly and their owners kept on a short leash, the Ministry noting down every time who used the Turner and when thanks to spells placed on the Hourglass.

Lily did have a Time Turner that Hogwarts had issued to her years ago, when she first started singing, meaning that it was not one of the Ministry Turners. Nevertheless, strong spells hung over the school and Hogsmeade, which were activated whenever a Time Turner was being used. The Ministry would not know by whom and exactly when, but they would know someone had been traveling time.

If a Time Turner were found active during the Concert, it would blow Lily's cover, because people would immediately assume (correctly) that it was Flor who was using it. So her Turner was out.

There were other ways, of course, but these were more dangerous. But Lily had no choice.

Sometimes Lily asked herself exactly why she was doing this; why not let sleeping dogs lie? This plan could go horribly wrong and backfire… on Lily.

But in all honesty, Lily had been dreaming of doing a Hogwarts show. She was a naturally shy person, but she quickly got over that on stage, going as far as to truly enjoy the attention, the butterflies, the music, the theatrics and fun of it. She didn't even mind (too much) the stress, the worry that her career brought on.

So to actually go to the one place in the world where she truly was overlooked, underestimated, plus generally forgotten, and be the center of attention for once… as Flor, of course.

Lily did not like the spotlight, it made her uncomfortable, doubly so because of Flora. But Flora… yes, Flor definitively loved to have all eyes on her. Could she really be a superstar if she didn't?

"Girls and gents, please welcome the brightest star in the singing sky, Miss Flora Hyacinthus!"

_Spotlight #2, on; cue music 5; curtains to North door… pull back. Cue fog machine, start strobe light sequence 8, Camera #9, #3, #4… Focus. Take a shot of Flor, then move to angle 13 of audience. Camera 12, scenic view of set with Richard and Judy. Stop music, cue light 22, and… go._

"So, my dear miss Flora, welcome to 'Richard and Judy's' on Channel 4 Britain live from London."

_Camera 5, close up of Flor's face._

"Thank you for having me, it's a real honor."

_Angle on R and J._

"You are known in almost all continents and nearly every country. Your world tour this summer sold out at every single arena the day the tour schedule was announced, and your last album, _In Bloom_, went triple platinum, with hundreds of millions of copies sold worldwide. And still a teenager!"

_Back to Flor._

"Ha… Well, thank you. Really, it was a team effort. I couldn't have done it without my musicians and my crew."

"How old are you anyways?"

"It's information I'd rather keep quiet about, if you don't mind."

"Always the mysterious one, Flor! That's right, one of the biggest stars in all of the world is also one of the most mysterious people on the planet! We know nothing of your origins, your family, your age, even your real name! How do you do it, Flor?"

"That's right, Judy. There'd aught to be a paper trail, but apparently not. You're driving those poor paparazzi crazy!"

_Cue light 8._

"I just want to keep these two lives separate, you know? This life is very fun, but very hard. I just want to live life my way."

"So what do you do in your other life?"

"I live it. I have friends, I do things I can't otherwise do."

"You mean, things you can't do as Flora Hyacinthus?"

"Exactly."

"Well, we're ready to grill Miss Flor further, but before we do this, we would like to invite our guest to perform one of her new songs for us. Miss Flor?"

_Focus on Flor._

"Of course."

_Dim lights 8, cue track 3, activate lights 21 and 2, have crew 5 give Flor her guitar._

"This song is called 'A Little Melody', and it is dedicated to my dear, childhood friend Sarah-Marie."

_**I wanna become like something never before!**_

_**I Wanna touch the farthest shore.**_

_**I wanna touch the starry sky,**_

_**I wanna be able to soar and fly!**_

_**(Yeah) You gave me the wings to do it right**_

_**Without causing me to turn and fight**_

_**We just lifted right up into the night!**_

_**Helping me to touch the brightest light!**_

_**You and I will always be**_

_**A little song,**_

_**A perfect melody.**_

_**Dawn comes I disappear,**_

_**My secret revealed is my fear**_

_**My skin shivers whenever you come near.**_

_**I Have dreams and you do too,**_

_**I want you to know I need you,**_

_**Just give me a kiss goodnight (Good night goodnight)**_

_**This is my life!**_

_**You gave me the wings to do it right**_

_**Without causing me to turn and fight**_

_**We just lifted right up into the night!**_

_**Helping me to touch the brightest light!**_

_**You and I will always be**_

_**A little song,**_

_**A perfect melody…**_

"Thank you."

Lily was biting her nails. Tonight. Tonight! What was she thinking? This could go so wrong! She could blow her cover, she could get hurt, even end up lost in the hallways of time…

But no. She couldn't. It was too late now; if Flor didn't show up, her credibility would be shot, and if Lily didn't come, her cover would be blown in less than a week.

She had to go through with it. Lily took a deep breath. Breakfast time.

James yawned. Party tonight. Spiked punch, loud music, girls in short skirts and tight costumes… Buttercup is short skirts and tight costumes. Yay.

All of his plans were going along perfectly. Money and power did wonderful things for teens who wanted to bend a few laws, and make things happen; as of right now, everything was going just the way he wanted it to.

Of course, James was exhausted. His schedule kept him up at night, doing things no teenage boy should be doing… but James never was one for rules.

Sirius stuck his head out of the bathroom. "For God's sakes, man, get going! Tomlinson sees you like that, she'll have a fit, and we'll all be paying for it."

Rolling his eyes and grumbling, James rose.

Buttercup sized herself up in the mirror. The white Muggle Healer nurse costume was sexy enough to have all the boys (hum, James) slobbering all over her, but cute and tame enough to keep the teachers off her back. Perfect! Buttercup adjusted her little hat with the red cross on it, deemed herself perfect and flounced out.

Aisha grumbled at Alice as she tugged on the blond girl's white apron strings. "Uhg – this is impossible. This continues, I'm going to rip my costume."

Aisha had a short belly-baring embroidered blue top on, with puffy but beautiful blue genie pants and hundreds of silver and golden bracelets on her wrists and ankles. Her curved elf-like shoes rang faintly every time she walked, thanks to the bell attached to them.

Alice looked over at herself in the mirror while Aisha struggled to tie her apron back properly. Sky blue dress, white apron, white rainbow-striped tights, black shoes and black hair band – yes, Alice looked like she had just fallen into Wonderland.

Finally, Aisha tied the apron and looked at Alice with approval.

Alice flashed a smile at Aisha, then turned and shouted over the bathroom door. "Lily, get a move on, will you? We'll be late! There's supposed to be a DJ coming over, I don't want to miss a _thing_."

Lily took a deep breath and stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was fixed, makeup on, everything was flawless – except for the fact that she was in her underwear and holding a wand in the middle of the bathroom.

"Lily, get a move on, will you? We'll be late! There's supposed to be a DJ coming over, I don't want to miss a _thing_."

Well, that synched it. Lily closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and waived her wand.

Tessa and Tara, dressed as matching French maids, Tessa with a white dress and black apron while Tara wore a black dress with a white apron, walked in the Great Hall, closely followed by Fran, who was dressed as Alysia Gato, or the witch version of the muggle heroine 'Catwoman', and was accompanied by what appeared to be a Chinese demon-hunter.

Xiao Chang had gotten that costume from his grandfather, and felt rather cool in it until his date, Fran, looked him over and rolled her eyes. Xiao scolded, asking himself again why he had invited such a stuck-up sourpuss to the Halloween party, until he glanced down at her fishnet-encased legs and remembered.

Lily came out of the bathroom with a smile.

"Are we ready?" she asked.

Aisha and Alice opened their eyes wide.

"Wow, Lily you look great!"

Lily grinned, pleased. Her dress looked great; it had been made with hundreds of different flowers petals, all shimmering and as colorful as a spring rainbow. Lily had sprinkled her slightly curled hair with petals and had even attached a little flower on her glasses' rim, to look pretty.

Alice frowned at her. "Not bad, but you look more like a flower sprite than anything else. Your hair is different, and so are your eyes, than Flor's."

Lily shrugged secretly pleased. That is what she had wanted, to look more like a fairy than Flora, and it looked like it was working. "I can't be perfectly like her, you know. We are two totally opposite people." Lily smiled a bit at her private joke.

"Shall we go on, then? Don't want to be late."

She herded Alice and Aisha out of the room, while in the bathroom that Lily had just vacated, a shadow trembled and moved. The bathroom door slowly opened.

The party was in full swing when James made his entrance with the Marauders; a cheer went up as the whole 6th grade class saw the quartet. James was dressed as Hars Potter, of course, clutching a snitch and holding it aloft.

Sirius was a vampire, with full on blood-red cape with a high collar and pointed fangs; he winked at a couple of girls who were watching him and took a swing from a little glass bottle that seemed to hold some kind of dark red liquid. The girls squealed with excitement and broke down giggling.

Remus was apparently, a ghost; he was wearing a suit that must have been fashionable in the 17 hundreds, torn and worn. He was completely pale, as if someone had thrown a sac of flour at him as he left the common room, and was floating 3 inches off the floor, making him slightly taller than Sirius (who had not appreciated that). According to Remus, if "everyone thought a ghost haunted the Shrieking Shack, why not?" The Marauders all appreciated the delicious irony of his comment.

Peter came as British guard, like the ones that guarded the Muggle Queen's Castle. Actually, the Queen did come from a powerful wizarding family, the Windsor, and many of them had been formidable witches and wizards, but that particular Queen didn't have particularly potent skills as a witch. Not that that mattered to Peter; he just liked the tall hats.

Buttercup ran over to where James had been standing. "Baby, there you are!" she squealed, and pulled him on the dance floor.

Lily felt a thrill of excitement as she watched all of Hogwarts' sixth years pour towards the dance floor; almost every single person was on the floor right now, dancing to the beat of the music.

She had never done what she was about to do, though she had been sorely tempted to more than once. Now she was about to find out how it felt…

Aisha was dancing with the great looking Xiao, who had been ditched by Fran for some werewolf. Aisha smiled shyly at Xiao. "I love your costume. Did it come from China?"

Xiao beamed. "Yeah, my _yé_ sent it to me for the party. He used to be a professional Chinese demon-fighter. I really like _your_ costume. Authentic?"

"Yeah, my _chauchi_ sent it to me. It belonged to real djinn!" Xiao grinned. Aisha looked absolutely stunning, just as good as Fran, and she was a lot nicer than her too. All in all, Aisha was much cooler.

Alice was dancing with her arms around Frank's neck, who was dressed as what looked like to be a muggle's version of a magician, with a cape, top hat, andwalking stick tucked in his belt loop; they were dancing close to each other, Frank's arms around Alice's waist, swaying and murmuring to each other. Alice giggled and snuggled closer to Frank.

Buttercup and James were making out on the dance floor. As usual.

Suddenly the lights dimmed. The music slowed, and the Mc's voice boomed in Great Hall. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special appearance tonight, just for you on Halloween…But before, are there any song requests?"

One of the girls screamed, play "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"!

And instantly, the chorus was up. "Black Horse!" "Flor's single!" "Flo-ra! Flo-ra!"

Mutters and whispers erupted around the room. People craned their necks eagerly. Lily bit her lip and held her breath. She moved towards the edge of the platform where the High Table was usually located. It was about to start!

A lilting interlude echoed around the room. A few girls squealed in excitement. But everything went quiet as the single guitar of the song started. And every eye went to the lone figure holding a guitar, standing on the High Table. Lights went up.

_Two, three, four_

_(woo-hoo,woo-hoo)_

_(woo-hoo,woo-hoo)_

_Well my heart knows me better than I know myself_

_So I'm gonna let it do all the talking._

_(woo-hoo,woo-hoo)_

_I came across a place in the middle of nowhere_

_With a big black horse and a cherry tree._

_(woo-hoo,woo-hoo)_

_I fell in fear, upon my back_

_I said don't look back, just keep on walking._

_(woo-hoo,woo-hoo)_

_When the big black horse said, "LOOK THIS WAY"_

_He said, "Hey little lady, will you marry me?"_

_(woo-hoo,woo-hoo)_

_But I said no, no, no,no-no-no_

_It said no, no, you're not the one for me_

_No, no, no,no-no-no_

_It said no, no, you're not the one for me_

_(ooooo,woo-hoo)_

_And my heart had a problem, in the early hours,_

_So it stopped it dead for a beat or two._

_(woo-hoo,woo-hoo)_

_But I cut some cord, and I shouldn't have done that,_

_And it won't forgive me after all these years_

_(woo-hoo,woo-hoo)_

_So I sent it to a place in the middle of nowhere_

_With a big black horse and a cherry tree._

_(woo-hoo,woo-hoo)_

_Now it won't come back , cause it's oh so happy_

_And now I've got a hole for the world to see_

_(woo-hoo,woo-hoo)_

_But it said no, no, no,no-no-no_

_It said no, no, you're not the one for me_

_No, no, no,no-no-no_

_Said no, no, you're not the one for me_

_(ooooo,woo-hoo) (not the one for me, yeah)_

_(ooooo,woo-hoo)_

_Said no,no, no,no, no, no, no_

_You're not the one for me_

_Said no,no, no,no, no, no, no_

_You're not the one for me_

_Big black horse and a cherry tree_

_I can't quite get there cause my heart's forsaken me_

_Big black horse and a cherry tree_

_I can't quite get there cause my heart's forsaken me_

Then Flor looked up and flashed the crowd a smile, who was still in shock.

"Thank you."

And the Great Hall exploded.

**A/N: Muah ha ha! Evil cliffy! Nyuk nyuk nyuk. Happy Halloween! But please, its not that evil. I didn't mean LITERAL explosion, of course. Thanks to:**

**Dolphindreamer24-7 – omg, thank you! Never had someone write a song for me well, I know its not FOR me, but still! **

**BrazilianPrincess – I'll keep it in mind, thanx!**

**chezE122091 – Thanx! Any specifics you like? But great artists…**

**LilyJames addict – Cool penname!!!! Love it. I'll try No Doubt, thanx. I love Gwen Stefani!**

**Haydenrocks14 – Thanks; awesome song. Since Flor isn't Latina, I'll try it, but only Shakira can really pull that song off! Thanks though, I will definitively try.**

**Mugglecast – I'm definitively planning to use some H.M. stuff in there. Thank yoouuuu**

**Etar – You're right. I'll try some thanks**

**MoonlitClarity – Love those girls… I'll have one like that in there, thanks**

**Pesche – Thank you; I do like Hilary Duff, she's not bad**

**Anonymous – I couldn't find it sorry, but If you think of it, write me! Thanks**

**Kelly – I'll try, but teen songs do fit Lily a bit (sorry!), but I promise to not just have pop in there**

**WANT YOUR NAME HERE? SUBMIT A SONG AND JOIN THE HALL OF FAME!**

**THANKS!**


	7. A Flower's Party

**A/N: Whhhaaaa! I got flamed… cries until whole room fills with tears. That person said the story was 'unrealistic'.**

**Um, DUH!**

**Of course it's going to seem out of the ordinary; we are talking about a fan-fic, right? Plus, 'bittermelon' didn't even read the whole thing, only chapter one. Grr.**

**Oh, well. It happens. On with the show, my loverlies!**

**PS: They also told me you're not supposed to post song lyrics on fan-fiction. Is that true? Will I get in trouble? And btw, chapter six's story is by KT Tunstall, called "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree".**

**_Chapter Seven: A Flower's Party_**

Lily jumped and giggled madly as everyone in the Hall went absolutely nuts. Even sour Professor Burns had turned blue in shock.

Lily watched as all of the cool girls hop up and down and scream madly, when two minutes before they never would have done anything to make themselves look silly or mess up their costumes.

Even Buttercup Tomlinson had lost her hat as she screamed and grabbed her boyfriend's arms, pointing at Flor.

Aisha came up to Lily, face flushed and dragging a stunned-looking Xiao. Alice came and joined them with Frank. "Oh my GOD – "

"Is that? – "

"It IS! – "

Both of them were talking at the same time, looking more excited than Lily had ever seen them. As she watched them, Lily realized that she probably should look thrilled as well.

Lily then proceeded to shriek with gusto, "**I can't _believe_ it oh my _stars_ look look it's –**"

Then all three girls howled the last part in chorus, "_FLORA HYACINTHUS_!!!"

Their announcement was so loud, the whole Hall heard it, so if there ever was any doubt about the identity of the singer, it had now vanished.

The crowd began to mob around the platform where Flor was performing.

Flor smiled at the crowd. She was wearing a deep purple dress that ended at her knees, the skirt and bodice torn artistically and held together with dark ribbons. She also wore black lace elbow–length gloves and stripped purple and blue tights, as well as calf length lace-up black boots with kitty heals. On her unbound vibrant red hair was a traditional witch's hat.

Laughing, Flor took the hat and threw it into the crowd with a wicked glint in her eyes. The crowd dived for it, but it landed perfectly on someone's head. A red headed-girl's head…

With a squeak of excitement, Lily watched as the hat went sailing into the crowd and plopped right down on her head. She knew that Flor had probably planned it that way, to draw attention to Lily.

The ploy worked. A small circle formed around Lily as people gathered around to look at the hat. Lily giggled and turned bright red, waiving at Flor.

Flor smiled back, giving a little finger wave. So that's what she looked like as Lily, just another Hogwarts pupil among the masses… It was funny and eerie to see that other side of herself down there, when there seemed to be such a huge difference between the student in the crowd and the girl on the stage.

"Happy Halloween, Hogwarts," purred Flor, her eyes still fixed on Lily in the crowd, a little bemused. She turned her attention back to the students when the crowd roared with approval.

"Tonight is a _magic_ night! A night for ghouls and goblins and witches and wizards!" Once more the students' excitement pulsated across the whole room. Flor was surprised that the Hogsmeade villagers weren't knocking down the front hall, complaining about the noise.

"Looks like nobody's going to be sleeping tonight…" Flor winked, the girls screeched, the boys whooped, and Flor opened her mouth.

_**I got you**_

_**I got you on my mind**_

_**And its time to make you see**_

_**(What I want)**_

_**So I'll just make this**_

_**A little more obvious**_

_**Cos I get what I want**_

_**And I want you to get with me**_

_**(You wanna get with me)**_

_**Don't think you know**_

_**How far I'm gonna go**_

_**Can't stop this feeling**_

_**You cannot run away**_

_**Baby I'm what's on your mind**_

_**You can't stop this feeling**_

_**There is no escape**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**You won't get**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**You want me**_

_**You want me all the time**_

_**And you don't need nothing new**_

_**But you seem to be**_

_**A little oblivious**_

_**So I'll show you the way**_

_**Cos I think that you need some help**_

_**Tell me baby**_

_**Are you coming with me?**_

_**Can't stop this feeling**_

_**You cannot run away**_

_**Baby I'm what's on your mind**_

_**You can't stop this feeling**_

_**There is no escape**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**You won't get**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**Oh**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**What you wanna sleep in?**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**You don't to spell it out in black and white**_

_**What you wanna sleep in?**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**Do I have to spell it out in black and white?**_

_**(oh oh oh oh oh)**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**(oh oh oh oh oh)**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**(oh oh oh oh oh)**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**(oh oh oh oh oh)**_

_**Can't stop this feeling**_

_**You cannot run away**_

_**Baby I'm what's on your mind**_

_**You can't stop this feeling**_

_**There is no escape**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**You won't get**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**(oh oh oh oh oh)**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**(oh oh oh oh oh)**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**(oh oh oh oh oh)**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**(oh oh oh oh oh)**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**(oh oh oh oh oh)**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**(oh oh oh oh oh)**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

_**(oh oh oh oh oh)**_

_**no sleep tonight**_

_**(Oh oh oh oh oh)**_

_**No sleep tonight**_

Most of the students had joined in the chorus at that point, and when song ended, Flor grinned at her fans. This was the best Halloween ever.

_aflowersfamechapter7aflowersparty_

Flor was on stage, at her piano, singing softly. The whole hall was silent.

_**Seems like it was yesterday when I saw your face**_

_**You told me how proud you were, but I walked away**_

_**If only I knew what I know today**_

_**Ooh, ooh**_

_**I would hold you in my arms**_

_**I would take the pain away**_

_**Thank you for all you've done**_

_**Forgive all your mistakes**_

_**There's nothing I wouldn't do**_

_**To hear your voice again**_

_**Sometimes I wanna call you**_

_**But I know you won't be there**_

_**Ohh I'm sorry for blaming you**_

_**For everything I just couldn't do**_

_**And I've hurt myself by hurting you**_

_**Some days I feel broke inside but I won't admit**_

_**Sometimes I just wanna hide 'cause it's you I miss**_

_**And it's so hard to say goodbye**_

_**When it comes to this, oooh**_

_**Would you tell me I was wrong?**_

_**Would you help me understand?**_

_**Are you looking down upon me?**_

_**Are you proud of who I am?**_

_**There's nothing I wouldn't do**_

_**To have just one more chance**_

_**To look into your eyes**_

_**And see you looking back**_

_**Ohh I'm sorry for blaming you**_

_**For everything I just couldn't do**_

_**And I've hurt myself, ohh**_

_**If I had just one more day**_

_**I would tell you how much that I've missed you**_

_**Since you've been away**_

_**Ooh, it's dangerous**_

_**It's so out of line**_

_**To try and turn back time**_

_**I'm sorry for blaming you**_

_**For everything I just couldn't do**_

_**And I've hurt myself by hurting you…**_

Lily sat during the song, her eyes wet and blinking. That song had always gotten to her. It had been written a long time ago… Old wounds. But tonight was a new night, a new life.

Alice, tears leaking out of her eyes, hugged Lily tightly. Aisha sniffled and went to hug her two friends.

Lily smiled at her friends, a little tearfully. This was her best Halloween to date. As Lily or Flor.

And so went the whole night, with Flor either bringing the whole floor down and then making the crowd wild once more.

Flor smiled once more at the listeners, and took a breath to say good-night – but just as she did, the Hall doors bowed open, and Professor Dumbledore stood at the arches.

Immediately the restless crowd quieted, and the students parted to make way for their Headmaster as he made his way to Flor's makeshift podium.

Smiling quizzically, but inwardly a little concerned, Flor skipped out of the way when Dumbledore climbed on top of the table (with "Hars" Potter's help) and looked down at the tiny singer.

"Happy All Hallow's Eve to you all!" he said to his students, eyes twinkling over his half-moon glasses. They cheered, still wallowing in the after-glow of having a famous singer come perform for their party.

"Now, while I am aware that I cannot hold your attention here like miss Hyacinthus can –", there were titters around the room after that comment. " – I would like to hold your thoughts for one more moment, if you please."

Flor looked at Dumbledore, nervously chewing her lip. That wasn't on the agenda.

Lily frowned at Dumbledore, biting her lip, a nervous habit she had developed her second year. She stopped when she saw Flor mirror her actions. But Dumbledore on stage… that wasn't part of the plan. What if he decided to end this charade, right here and now? What was –

"First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Miss Flora for so graciously accepting out invitation – " Flor and Lily laughed while all the other students roared. They both knew – as did Dumbledore, who had a little smile on his lips – that Flor had invited herself.

" – And I hope that she will visit our school again in the near future." At that, the crowd went crazed at the idea of another exclusive concert. Flor smiled. While this group was a lot smaller than the crowds she normally played for, their excitement was palpable.

"However, now that our 6th year class has had Miss Flor all to themselves for the night, it would only be fair that the rest of Hogwarts share some of your luck," Dumbledore winked at the party goers and nodded to the gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, who stood outside the Great Hall doors. Hagrid nodded and threw them open.

Instantly, all of Hogwarts' innumerable students poured in, all abuzz to see what was the reason they had all been yanked from their respective Halloween activity to come back to the castle. When they saw who stood on stage next to Dumbledore, it became an all out war as students clawed at each other to get closer. Shrieks of pure joy and excitement rang out, as the lucky students who first saw Flor shouted at their schoolmates still outside: "It's Flor! Flora Hyacinthus! She's _here_!"

Pandemonium reigned as all of Hogwarts' thousands students crammed through the doors, regardless of whether the proudly wore their "Flor's Friends" pin, or usually sneered at the singer's name. All of the teenagers, from innocent first years and world-weary seventh years (and yes, even some teachers) had caught the Flor fever.

Lily laughed nervously as she watched all the students cram themselves through the doors, and watched Dumbledore and Flor, her mind working at lightning pace. Flor looked happy, waving at her fans, while Dumbledore caught Lily's eye and winked in reassurance. Turning pink, Lily grabbed the edges of her hat even more firmly.

Flor smiled at the crowd. She had thought of singing one of her slower, darker songs, but seeing the high, the buzz the hall contained, she felt loathe to pull it down with a brooding song, and instead opted for a crowd-pleaser, one of her dance hits she had written.

They hadn't been written or sung for dancing, but a producer had heard some of the cuts and made remixes of them that were perfect to bop to in a club. Now, Flor used those songs primarily at the beginning and the end of her concerts, to keep her crowd hyped.

When all the cheering, writhing, flushed kids finally squeezed into the Great Hall, Flor looked at them and with her wand/microphone. "An encore then, is it?"

The din the students made was deafening.

Flor shrugged with a smile. "Alright, then. One more song, one more night…" Cuing her soundman with her wand, the lights dimmed, and multicolor strobes began to go off.

_**You are all I can remember **_

_**After all that we've been through**_

_**Forever in my heart**_

_**Now I'm through**_

_**And June feels like November**_

_**Still can't believe it's true**_

_**Too long we've been apart**_

_**One more night **_

_**I wanna to be with you **_

_**Where I wanna to hold you tight **_

_**It feels so right, tonight**_

_**So leave it up to you **_

_**And I think the time is right to stop the fight **_

_**One more night**_

_**I wanna to be with you **_

_**Where I wanna to hold you tight **_

_**It feels so right, tonight**_

_**So leave it up to you**_

_**And I think the time is right to stop the fight**_

… _**stop the fight**_

Flor once more waved her wand, and petals slowly started falling from the enchanted sky.

_**Why can't true love be forever?**_

_**Why did my dream explode? **_

_**The day you went away**_

_**Cause I will keep this spell together**_

_**And wish you well of hope**_

_**Your girl from yesterday **_

_**One more night **_

_**I wanna be with you **_

_**Where I wanna hold you tight**_

_**It feels so right, tonight **_

_**So leave it up to you **_

_**And I think the time is right to stop the fight**_

_**One more night**_

_**I wanna be with you **_

_**Where I wanna hold you tight**_

_**It feels so right, tonight**_

_**So leave it up to you **_

_**And I think the time is right to stop the fight**_

The place where Flor was standing on top of the table started to glow, and gradually, during the song, a small rectangle of light began to rise, with Flor on top, so that near the end of the song, the singer was hovering over 15 feet over the crowd. The screeched in unison, arms stretched high towards her like masses of worshippers adoring a goddess, or an angel.

The snow of petals was heavy now, and when Flor shouted to the crowd, "Thank you, Hogwarts! See you soon!", try as they might, none of them could see where Flor disappeared off to, leaving the swooning first years to jump around, catching as many petals as they could.

Lily heaved a sight of relief. A single white lily floated towards her; she reached for it, and caught it delicately. She gazed at it, with a small smile on her face. It was over, and it had been just… perfect.

_lafortunedunefleurechapitre7lafetedunefleure_

James tousled his hair, and glanced at his watch, wincing. It was nearly midnight. He had, at that time, an important meeting he could not miss. Kissing the still babbling Buttercup ("Son of a squib! Flor!! Wait till I tell my cousins in Beauxbatons, they'll be _green_"), and waving at the Marauders – with Peter nowhere in sight; they had lost him in the rush of the concert – James set off, blue Quidditch robes billowing after him.

Flor sneaked out of the concert hall, looking around furtively. Thanks to Dumbledore's new anti-apparition spells in Hogwarts and its grounds (too many students had the nasty habit of Apparating in their peers' rooms at odd times – usually at night – either with mischief on their minds, or, err, other things), Flor had to hoof it out of the castle without being caught.

With a sigh, Flor plopped herself down on the base of a witch's statue to take off her uncomfortable boots. As she did, Flor's glass bauble (_round glass foggy ball – similar to a Remembrall, but smaller_), which she used as a Portkey to go from her studios in London, Paris and New York and back to Hogwarts, slipped out of her dress pocket, plunked down on the floor, and rolled down the hall.

Flor leaped to her feet, cursing the uneven hall as the tiny bauble picked up speed and plummeted towards the stairs. She gasped in horror as the bauble began to tumble down the stairs, thinking that if the fall didn't break the object, it would get sucked into the trick stair step, third from the bottom, and it would be lost forever.

Flor cringed as the ball crashed down the last step before the trick one, waiting for it to fall, but still running in desperation, hoping vainly that it could be saved –

But as she did, she never saw the agile hand, shooting out of nowhere to cup the falling ball, and still didn't realize someone was there before she crashed into him –

He didn't even have time to think. He was going up the stairs, saw the rolling glass ball, so similar to a Snitch, and reached out to grab it just as he straightened in the nick of time to catch the girl who was running after it, a tiny, redheaded girl –

Flor, out of breath, heaved as sight of relief as she saw the ball, safely tucked in the stranger's hand – the stranger, the boy who had caught her, the boy who was still holding her, quite intimately, to be exact, close to him, in his arms, the Quidditch-robed clad boy –

And just then, the boy and the girl, almost hugging on the staircase, the boy holding a glass ball, the girl flushed, her hand's on the boy's shoulders; the two of them finally looked up (in Flor's case) or down (for him) at each other's face, realizing in a split second the person whom they were holding (or holding on to).

_Great Merlin, Flora Hyacinthus!_

_Good Gods, it's James Potter._

**A/N: Huh? Huh? Evil cliffy or WHAT?! Hee hee! Thanks to all my loverly reviewers. Love you long time! (ok that sounded weird.) If you have any ideas at all for songs, anything, please submit them! If you wrote a song yourself (like Dolphin Dreamer did) submit it, and of course, you will get all the credit!**

**SONGS USED: _"No Sleep Tonight" by the Faders_**

"_**Hurt" by Christina Aguilera**_

"_**One More Night" by Cascada**_

**All very nice songs; you should listen to them!**

**I am trying to give Flor some singing variety, you know, to give her depth. She's not supposed to be just some pretty but shallow little pop princess; she writes her own music, is eclectic, and doesn't let anyone tell her how to run her music. **

**Please, this is NOT supposed to follow the real story line here, people. I took some liberties. James was a Chaser, not a Seeker. I don't think he had an uncle. Aisha and Alice are fictional (well, Alice less so; I got her from something in the HP books), and in fact, I'm pretty sure JK would agree that Lily was not, in reality, a singing sensation that took over the world with her lilting melodies. This is Joanne's sandbox, y'all. I'm just playing in it. Luv!**

**Props to my peeps:**

**Lilyhermioneevans**

**ReadingRobyn**

**DragonfrosttipLady**

**Pheobesapphira**

**Drunk Cow**

**DolphinDeamer24-7**

**Animals are my LIFE **

**toria-b2**

**kenziegirl**

**warm summer days**

**BrazilianPrincess**

**pakiprncess4**

**futurePOTUS (president of the united states, huh? You've got my vote!)**

**MoonlitClarity**

**Amarthiel**

**chezE122091**

**Pesche**

**Thank you thank you! I love your reviews. When I feel down about abysmal physics, you guys are here for me:)))))**


	8. A Flower's Encounter

**A/N: Thank you! Me sooo happy!!!!!**

**Happy Holidays!**

_**Chapter Eight: A Flower's Encounter**_

_I_

_I'm just a flower in your hair_

_Without a care_

_Existing just to make you more beautiful_

_Living my life to its full_

_But sometimes I_

_I_

_Wish there was something more_

_Something more_

_To your_

_Temporary love_

_'Temporary Love (Ballad of Hair Flowers)'_

_Flora Hyacinthus_

_Album "Buds of…", Music Box Records_

Lily giggled and hurried back to her room with all her chattering friends. The charm had worked like… well, a charm!

The truth of the matter was, she was very proud of the magic she had wielded today. She had used no Time Turner, but rather a very complicated and advanced charm that had taken her practically months to master.

The charm didn't make Lily go back in time. It duplicated her.

In essence, there were many spells existing to make a carbon copy of a person, a perfect replica. But Lily didn't replicate herself; she literally cloned herself for a couple of hours, so that for those few spaces in time, there were two Lilys, with exactly the same mind, the same heart, the same memories, the same soul. This was a very dangerous spell, as souls, or whatever made men and women what they were, could be perfectly duplicated, but could not exist together very long.

The book Lily had studied from said that to duplicate your soul violated the laws of nature; practically violated the laws of magic. A person could clone themselves perfectly for no more that 24 hours, and after that, the magic would no longer support the bond between the spell caster and his or her copy.

If that happened… well, we could just say that Lily's body – or her mind – wouldn't escape unscathed.

"_Lily_."

She rarely used that spell, and only in dire emergencies. Today, she had cloned herself, and then one Lily had prepared herself to go out as 6th year Lily-dressed-as-Flora, while the other had donned Flor's apparel before gracing the stage.

"Lily?? Can you hear me?"

In the end, when Lily would reunite with Flor – with herself – as the bodies merged, so would the memories, meaning after that that Lily would hold twice as much memory for the same night. It was a bit of an uncomfortable process, leaving her feeling groggy for the next few days as she tried to sort out her minds.

"**Lily!**"

"Yes!" squeaked Lily. "Sorry, sorry."

"This concert was – oh my goodness. I can't even believe it," gushed Alice. "Getting tickets to her shows is nearly impossible. And – and here she was!"

Aisha wrinkled her brow. "Um… I wonder why she came… The money maybe?"

Alice shook her head. "I don't see Dumbledore forking over thousands of Galleons for a 6th year Halloween party."

Lily turned pink and muttered something about the goodness of Flor's heart, but saw that both her friends were lost now to her. When they got to the fifth floor cross hall, Aisha, who was accompanied by Xiao Chang, stopped, knowing that Ravenclaw Xiao would have to go right and Gryffindor Aisha would be going left. Aisha waved vaguely at her friends, motioning to them to go on, as she hung back and continued her conversation with Xiao.

Not that Alice noticed. She was too busy staring into Frank Longbottom's eyes, clasping his hand tightly.

Lily smiled at the two of them, before stopping and exclaiming, "Oh no! I've seemed to have forgotten my hair clip. I have to go back and get it. Don't wait up!" And with that, Lily scampered away to her private quarters to await 'Flor'; not that either Alice or Frank noticed. Frank, for one, was too busy staring into Alice Carroll's blue eyes.

Lily skipped back to her room to wait for Flor. She couldn't _wait_ to see how the concert had felt from the high table…

_**Flowersliveandflowersdiebutsomeflowersneverfade**_

First, Flor turned pink. Then beet red. And then, when she realized that a student had caught her when she was in her stage costume as an international pop-superstar, Lily/Flor turned absolutely dead white.

James looked down at the girl in his arms. He had always expected Flor to be taller in person, and less pretty. He had expected some kind of Transfiguration spells to make her look fabulous in her photo shoots. But Hogwart's best Transfiguration student could only feel a couple of spells on the girl: a spell for her hair, probably to emphasize color and make it longer (or shorter); a spell to emphasize eye color and a last one to even out and pale the color of her skin. That was it. The rest was her natural beauty.

Flor gazed at James. She couldn't say anything. Lily had often found that when she activated these few simple spells to become Flora, her personality changed too. She became outspoken, outgoing, interesting, the life of the party. The exact opposite from shy Evans who hated to be in the center of attention.

But now, under his mesmerizing blue stare, Flor wilted to only leave poor, terrified, intimidated Lily in her wake, her heart trembling with the idea – the feeling – that James' beautiful blue eyes would pierce her right through to her soul, and uncover her every secret. She felt naked.

At this thought, Flor suddenly realized that James was still holding on to her. With a terrified squeal, she pushed way, jumped back a couple of steps, mumbled something about having to go. To her utter shame, she could feel a flush rising to her pale cheeks, but even worse, she knew that she was so embarrassed that her entire body must be turning pink. With one last garbled thanks, she turned around and fled.

At least, she would've, had James not grabbed her wrist.

"Wait a second," he said softly. Blushing furiously, the girl looked at her feet while James pressed her bauble into her palm. Flor clasped it tightly. It was still warm from his hand.

James could see that little Flor was absolutely tongue-tied. He preened a bit, to have made an international pop-superstar blush like a schoolgirl, but he then saw how uncomfortable… and panicked she looked. Slowly, James extended his hand. "Did you get lost? It is a big castle. I could show you the way."

Flor's eyes flew to him as he spoke. Blast it, that boy really was handsome. Even when she saw the mischief in his eyes, and the self-importance, she saw that he genuinely kind of cared about Flor. She breathed a sigh of release. Someone as self-absorbed would never guess her identity.

But Flor couldn't talk with her normal confidence, or the ease she usually felt around people as a star. Once again, she was reduced to blushing lightly and murmuring her thanks. James grabbed her hand and towed her along to the nearest passage out of the castle. Flor couldn't help noticing that his hand and was big and warm, for a moment, she appreciated what it felt like to be held, even just by the hand, even if it was just James Potter.

James glanced back at the tiny girl. She looked terribly embarrassed, almost a bit guilty. James figured she must have snuck away from her manager to take a look at the castle, but had gotten lost. James smiled a bit; he remembered what it had felt like when he had first arrived at Hogwarts.

The journey didn't take long; soon they were in front of the statue of a water nymph. Flor had murmured on the way to the third floor that her manager would be waiting for her around that corridor.

As soon as they got there, James turned around and demanded, "What's your owl post number?"

Dumbfounded, Flor only looked at him.

James rolled his eyes. "I know you heard me. What's your owl post number? You're a big star, so of course you get a private owl post for yourself. What is it?" Seeing Flor looking just as confused, James frowned, then gave a smug smile. "Don't worry. I won't sell the number to your hoard of fanatics at Hogwarts. I don't need the money."

James dug out his wand and with a flourish, transfigured two pumpkin pasty wrappers into a quill and paper. "Here. As a show of good faith, I'll give you _my_ number." Blushing furiously, Flor clasped the slip of paper with shaking hands. What was James _doing_?

"All right then, cough it up, Flora."

So surprised by his bullying, Flor stammered, "Ze- 0 8 0 9 8 9…"

With a triumphant smile, James scribbled the number down and stuffed it in his robes. "There you go. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Flor shook her head, completely pink. What was Potter thinking? "I – I'm confused…"

James grinned, his smile ironic. "Don't be. Always did wonder what it was like to have a really famous friend." James glanced at his watch and winced. "Gotta go; I'm really late. You'll be okay now?" When Flor nodded, still looking bemused, James ruffled her hair, and to her shock, plucked out the black lily that she had woven into her hair.

James winked as he walked away from her backwards. "Proof. Don't forget to write!" And with that, James was gone.

Flor opened her mouth to say something – anything – but closed it with a puzzled sigh. She didn't know if she was flattered by his attention or enraged by his overbearing, arrogant attitude. Shaking her head, she whirled around and left.

**_lafamadeunaflorrechapitreochoeldestinodeunaflore_**

****

Still bright pink, Flor stumbled towards her private rooms. Evans was there. They both gazed at each other: the same girl, split in two, duplicated by magic. The same, yet different. Two and the same. They both went in the room, holding hands. Once in private, Flor extended her arms, and Evans closed her eyes, welcoming her alter ego. The moment they embraced, there was a bright flash of light, and Lily stumbled onto the floor, losing her balance. She was, to her utter embarrassment, only in her bra and underwear. For the spell to work properly, the person being split needed to keep some garment on, and both alters had to be wearing the same clothes once more when they joined. Lily always kept her underwear on.

Two dresses floated to the ground, right next to Lily. One of them was multicolored, made of flower-petals. The other was black and purple. With a small groan, Lily fell back, utterly exhausted. The memories of the party swirled around her head from two points of view, muddling everything. In some inhumane effort, Lily climbed into bed and resolved to never get out of it again… Or at least not until Monday.

**A/N: So sorry its soooo short…. Cries its exam season. I PROMISE to update next week.**

**HEY! KEEP THOSE SONGS COMING, Y'ALL! I NEED INSPIRATION!!!!**


	9. A Flower's Hesitation

**A/N: Sooo sorry this is short… :( **

_**Chapter Nine: A Flower's Hesitation**_

_Spring_

_Spring on me_

_A surprise, a new beginning_

_Spring_

_Spring so we_

_Can really get our own life starting_

_Spring come_

_And make everything all right_

_Spring come_

_And keep us dancing all night_

_Spring come_

_Spring winter away _

_Spring come_

_And blow life exactly my way_

'_Spring Come'_

_Flora Hyacinthus_

_Album "Buds of…", Music Box Records_

It was only a few days after the concert at Hogwarts, and everyone was still completely mad about it. 6th year students absolutely glowed, basking in the glory that made them even more respected – at least for a few days – than the untouchable 7th years.

While she would never admit it, Alice lapped the attention up. That Monday at breakfast, she told a crowd of 7th and 5th years in a world-weary tone, "_Fine_, I'll tell you what happened again, because obviously I won't have peace if I don't." She leaned in slyly towards her rapt audience. "So here I was, with my boyfriend, Frank Longbottom, and my girls Aisha Baduri and Lily Evans, and we were just dancing to the music, when _I_ noticed –"

Lily just shook her head and smiled. Alice always did love attention, not that she would ever own up it. This must have been the fifth time she told about the concert; not that Lily minded. The more people were reminded that she had been in the audience, the less likely it would be for people to lead Flor back to her.

Lily glanced at her mail. There were three letters in front of her: one was a few days old, one was brand new, and the other was from her manager.

Her smile died on her lips as she read the letter her manager had sent her.

_Took the magazine to court with your story, saying they had trespassed the property and were infringing your privacy, but we both know that won't last long, Even if it does, the story will be leaked to a sister tabloid before the end of the week. Get ready._

So. Less than a week; by Friday, the whole world would know that Flor was one of the 700 students at Hogwarts, 350 of who happened to be boys, and 150 of those remaining girls too young to be Flora Hyancithus, leaving basically 200 eligible candidates to be Flor, a number that would soon be whittled down…

**_(A/N – I have no idea how many students are at Hogwarts. In Harry's year, there are only like, 5 Gryffindor boys, and 5 Gryffindor girls, and not that many other students in that year in other houses. JK said that there were only about 30ish students in first year with Harry, so actually there would only be about 200 students total at Hogwarts, but in the 3rd book, she mentioned that a fourth of the school, 200 people (pg 205, Azkaban) were Slytherins. Ergo, I have no idea how many kids there are at Hogwarts. I guesstimated about 100 students per year, about 20-25 students per year per house, giving us about 700 students in total. If anyone knows anymore about that, tell me please :) _**

Lily sighed a glanced at her other two letters. One was to Flor – from James Potter. True to his word, James had owled her the very night after their meeting. His letter instantly became one of her favorites, it had been so funny and witty – so James.

But at the same side, he had shown another side of himself – a softer James. In the letter, he didn't list his achievements, trying to impress her, like many people did. He just tried to make her laugh, which she did.

The last letter was from Flora Hyacinthus – addressed to James Potter. _This is so dangerous,_ thought Lily. A million things could go wrong – James might guess, the letter might be traced… She sighed, wavering between sending the letter… and burning it. Lily picked up her manager's letter and read it again. _Get ready…_

As Lily glanced back at her two best friends – Alice still engrossed in her story, Aisha glaring at the jealous letters her cousins sent her, demanding details of Flor's appearance – she winced. She still hadn't told them. If they found out when the press broke the story, they would never forgive her for lying to them and not trusting them enough with her secret.

But how do you tell your best friends that you're really a famous singer, and that you've been one for nearly four years?

Aisha sighed in disgust. "Can't believe they heard, all the way from Sapphire City and Salem. Never written to me once in 6 years, never talk to me during the vacation and family reunions but suddenly we're best friends!"

Lily frowned. "Wait – I know about the Salem Conservatory of Magick in Massachusetts, but what's Sapphire City?"

Aisha looked startled. "Oh, you mean the Pāṭhaśālā of Sapphire City, in Bombay? It's a magic school, just, you know, in India. My English cousins go to Salem, and my Indian cousins go to Sapphire City. Well, in essence, we're all British Indian – "

"But it depends on where you live, right. So, why are you the only one to go to Hogwarts?"

Aisha shrugged, looking uncomfortable. Lily got the hint and changed the subject.

_** l a l a l a - :))))))))))))))**_

"I swear! She gave me her Owl number. Yes, Flora Hyacinthus!"

James was eating breakfast and regaling the Quidditch team of his encounter with the starlet the night of the ball.

"As if," scoffed Daniel Jordan, the tall Black 7th year Quidditch commentator. "Right. Next you'll be telling us you're really a famous 24 year old Quidditch player who came to Hogwarts under a fake name."

The team erupted in gales of laughter, which were only fueled when Sirius hooked his arm around James and sneered at Daniel, eyes narrowed. "Actually, its _23_ years old."

Frank Longbottom, a Chaser as well, shot Alice a long look before turning back to ask, "So then, tell us again how you met Flora Hyacinthus."

"I told you," said James airily, though he was starting to look aggravated. "I met her as I was going back to the dorms. She looked lost, so I helped her out."

Kingsley Shacklebolt, a 5th year Beater, laughed out loud at that. "Right! A multimillion galleon winning performer actually was let loose in a potentially dangerous castle by her managers and bodyguards? I don't think _so_."

Marlene McKinnon, another 4th year Chaser, sniffed at James. "You're famous enough as it is, Potter. There's no need to go around lying, you know."

Hestia Jones, a 3rd year, looked around with wide eyes. Thanks to her nimble and light speed, she made an excellent Keeper; she had just joined the Quidditch team, and was still in awe of all the upper-class men and women. Emmeline Vance, the last 7th year Chaser, patted her head reassuringly.

The team went on to raucously and mercilessly accuse James of lying. Though he stayed cool during the diatribe, his smile was forced and his eyes were slightly narrowed. Obviously, James did not appreciate being called a liar; even his closest friends had trouble believing him.

Lily bit her lower lip. She looked back at the letter, and looked again at James. His expression made up her mind. Getting up suddenly, Lily excused herself and jogged quickly back to the Owlery.

_** l a l a l a - :))))))))))))))**_

James stalked off to Potions, completely aggravated. For once that he had been completely candid, no one believed him! Talk about karma…

Even the Marauders had trouble believing him; James had to admit to himself that it was a bit fantastic as well. It did seem terribly convenient; he left at an importune time of the party, and there, lo and behold, was Flora Hyacinthus. It was perfect timing – a little _too_ prefect.

James sighed. The meeting he had attended after encountering Flor had lasted forever – new deals had to be ironed out, new spells had to be found and mastered. After becoming an Animagi in 5th year, James had been confident that any new spells after that would be pie.

How terribly wrong.

So, his course in life was simple. Don't annoy Buttercup too much, keep (relatively) out of trouble (correction: keep out of getting _caught_), pray for Flor to write back to his letter, and make sure no one ever, **_ever_** found out about his secret meetings. Especially not his parents.

Especially not Dumbledore.

_** l a l a l a - :))))))))))))))**_

_Dear Miss Flor,_

_You probably don't remember me – I'm sure you meet hundreds of adoring fans writing and meeting you all the time. However –you remember coming to Hogwarts on Halloween, perhaps? And you probably remember getting lost at Hogwarts. Don't worry, it happens all the time. I used to get lost all the time too – well, when I was eleven. I did, however, find many interesting things that way… But that's a story for another letter._

_Excuse me for not introducing myself properly – James Potter, at your service. I'm an only child, but I have a spattering of cousins somewhere lost in Devonshire. Good thing too – my cousins and I don't exactly eye to eye (I'm tolerable, thanks to my adorable mug. They, on the other hand, have my disposition without my good looks – a deadly combination). I'm a sixth year here at Hogwarts, which would make me 16. And let me tell you, there's nothing sweet about it. 6th years aren't nearly as respected as the 7th years, but we get the same amount of work! It's not fair, if you ask me. But again, no one has yet._

_So, how's the singing voice? You seemed awfully quiet last night – and here I thought you'd be a chatty teen diva. I guess I was wrong – something, I assure you, that is rare enough as it is. Well, I can understand if you'd rather not talk. Probably don't want to lose your voice – your fans would run the place down! Nearly did last night, too._

_Well, I'm 6'1'', I have blue-brown eyes and black hair (even if you already know that), I'm a Seeker for Gryffindor, my house; I love chocolate like a girl, I hate brussel sprouts like a five year old (I'm often told I act like one, too – but I differ!), and I'm not too bad at schoolwork, much to my teachers' dismay._

_That's James in a nutshell for you – and now, I guess I'll just have to sit back and wait for your nutshell to arrive._

_Waiting for spring to come (pun intended!!),_

_James Potter_

_** l a l a l a - :))))))))))))))**_

**A/N: Ooookkkkayyy!!!! Question, you guys!!**

**I can't write as often as I'd like. I'm a senior in high school, so right about now is really hectic, with college and AP exams and such. Soooo, you guys can pick.**

**Would you rather I updated frequently – say twice a month – with shorter chapters **

**OR**

**Would you prefer I write a really long chapter about every month? **

**I do promise to update more frequently than I have before, but I really, really can't write really long chappies and update all the time. I'm sorry:(**

**Whichever one gets the most 'votes' is what'll do. Isn't this cool???? It's like American Idol!!!**

**Lily: You don't even watch American Idol!**

**Zelda: … So? Everyone else does, right?**

**Lily: disbelieving silence**

**Zelda: What?!? What did I say?!?!?!?! Did that sound nerdy???? Why are you making that face!!?**


	10. A Flower's First Taste

**A/N: You guys, I'm really sorry. I'm terrible about updating, and you don't deserve that. I'm going to do my best to update at least twice a month – with medium sized chapters (I'm thinking about 3,000 words, one song lyric included), cause honestly, I'm not too meaty with my chapters. So thanks for sticking around!!! LYRICS ARE DOLPHINDREAMERS'. THANKS!!**

**DEDICATED TO ALL MY REVIEWERS, ESPECIALLY TO QUEENOFTHEFAIRIES, DOLPHINDREAMER AND READER-NOT-A-REVIEWER. THANKS FOR THE INPUT!!!**

_Chapter 10: A Flower's First Taste_

There are silent fears,

That someone will find my secret here,

Hidden in the crowds of friends so dear…

All I can hear…is the voice saying "One more year"

One more year and the secrets out

One more year there will be no doubt

One more year and I'll never have to shout

One more year until you will be mine,

One more year…

He doesn't know it yet,

But he has the key,

To all my secrecy…

One more year and the secrets out

One more year there will be no doubt

One more year and I'll never have to shout

One more year until you will be mine,

One more year…

Oh, One more year…

One more year to freedom

One more year to love and life

One more year to happiness

One more year to freedom

(One More Year)

_Flora Hyacinthus, in collaboration w/ Sarah-Marie, the Dolphin Dreamer_

_Album "Buds of…", Music Box Records_

"Now- swish and flick; swish and flick… Remember, charms on a person's appearance are dangerous and complex! We wouldn't want to do irreparable damage! Remember Julia Wolloce!"

Alice leaned towards her friends and muttered, "Like anybody could forget her." Aisha bit her lip as Lily smiled thinly, all of them regarding Professor Flitwick soberly.

Julie Wallace, or, in Prof Flitwick's little parable, Julia Wolloce, a Hufflepuff 6th year when the three girls had been second years, who had the brilliant idea in mind to charm her face so that she would never have to put makeup on again, had ended up looking very… festive. They had been told that some of the colors had faded a bit since then.

Aisha rolled her eyes. "Julia Wolloce. What a terrible pseudonym. Honestly, is he fooling anyone?" Alice snorted, pursing her lips to stop from laughing out loud. Lily only felt vaguely sick.

After all, wasn't her stage name, Flora Hyacinthus – 'Flower Lily' in Latin – just as obvious?

Lily fiddled with her glasses. And today they were doing appearance-altering charms, something she had mastered out of necessity since her 3rd year. Professor Flitwick was a sharp man; she was sure that he would notice that this wasn't the first time she had used those charms…

Of course, many girls at Hogwarts had, at some point or another, tried spells in that nature. But still, it embarrassed Lily vaguely to have to tell her professor that she had used such charms before.

Professor Flitwick blinked at his students. "Well, after I was informed by an anonymous quote last week that my lessons were 'boring' and 'took forever'," at that, half the class tittered while James gave Sirius a quiet high five. "I decided to spruce this class a little bit today! Instead of just doing practice charms, we will today attempt to alter our partner's faces to resemble a famous person of your choice!!!"

The whole class cheered. Lily groaned.

Immediately everyone was buzzing.

"NO idea… I could try to be the star of _Beaubatons Belles_… God, what's her name? It's on the tip of my tongue…"

"Does it have to be a real person?"

"Hey, hey, Moons, what about Merilius Wulf? You'd look great as him!!"

"What, you mean the first werewolf? But… How would you know what he looked like, Pad? He died ages ago."

"Elementary, my dear Worms! Chocolate Frog Cards!!! I have the whole collection… Wait for it… He's in here somewhere…"

"Har, har, Sirius. I'm doubling over in laughter."

"You don't look too amused there, Moony."

"We could make you look like Morganna!!! She was so pretty!"

"What about Dumbledore?"

"We're not advanced enough to use Old Age, fool."

"Eleanora Cliodna!"

"That famous model from Ireland?"

"Can we do muggle people? Because Marilyn Monroe would be sooo much fun!"

"Marilyn who? Is she famous or something?"

"…"

"Flor!"

"Flora!"

"Flora Hyacinthus would be great!!"

Cringing, Lily berated herself. She should have seen that one coming.

"All right… Start pairing up… We seem to be missing miss Botts from Ravenclaw, so unfortunately, one of you will be working alone…"

Lily's hand shot up.

"Very well, miss Evans. I trust you are capable of handling this spell without difficulty."

"Yes, Professor."

With a sigh of relief and a wave at Alice and Aisha, who were arguing fiercely whether Circe was blonde or brunette.

However, at the last minute, a Ravenclaw girl turned around and looked at Lily speculatively.

"Goodness' sakes, Amelia, your parents are from Tahiti. You're too dark to be Flora Hyacinthus. See, you'd need to look more like Evans, over there. She already has red hair and green eyes; she wouldn't need to work with too much. You, on the other hand…"

"Thanks, mother, I got it."

As if Lily wasn't mortified enough, Professor Flitwick had overheard.

"Yes, students!" He gushed enthusiastically. "At your stage, it would be easier to pick someone who bears a resemblance to your coloring, such as miss Evans here, who has red hair and green eyes like miss, erm, Fleur is it? That lovely singer from Halloween?"

Lily's heart had stopped beating after Flitwick's third word.

To stop anyone from noticing her facial features, Lily blushed a deep horrendous red that covered her whole face. Appalled and thankful, Lily just squirmed. Luckily, when she spelled her skin to be more alabaster on stage, she made sure that her new ivory color was impervious to her bouts of pink embarrassments: in other words, when she was Flor, Lily couldn't blush. At least, easily.

Tara and Tessa just rolled their eyes and whispered to each other loudly, "As if that carroty teacher's pet could ever pass as Flor."

Muffled laughter rang around the room.

Lily should have been grateful. She really should have – she went from having a startling resemblance to a famous singer to being Gryffindor's personal living Moaning Myrtle.

During her second year, Lily had been forced to sport a particularly horrendous pair of horn-rimmed glasses that could have been Myrtle's. That same year, Lily had slipped on green slime left behind by a Marauder's prank, making her fall and break her only collapsible scale, which had cost her a fortune and would be impossible for her to replace.

Faced with the possibility of failing Potions because she was too poor to buy a new scale, Lily had dissolved into tears of frustration and shame, imagining that she would get kicked out of school. Ever since, a Moaning Myrtle reference had always sprung up once or twice a year.

She should have been grateful. But all Lily felt was a flare of resentment…

Lily bit her lip, thinking deeply. Surprisingly, Sirius Black had given her a lovely idea. Digging around, she found the card she had received this morning from a Chocolate Frog: Queen Maeve, an Irish witch who trained young magical students before Hogwarts' time.

Maeve had had red hair, but not blood red hair like Flor; she had sported lighter, more orange-gold colored tresses. Also, her hair had usually been pinned up, with curly locks framing her face, making it look shorter. Her skin tone had been darker that Lily's peachy-pale color, a healthy tan, earned from spending countless hours exploring magic outside castle walls, hundreds of years ago. She had also been taller, and a bit plumper than Lily, with no freckles and violet eyes.

Eager to get away from any references to Flor or Myrtle, Lily started concentrating in the mirror in front of her. She waved her wand and began muttering to herself, until the skin became even and darker; the hair slightly shorter and paler, turning from straight red to wavy orange; the eyes narrowed and became a shocking purple; the mouth thinned but the lips turned darker; the freckles were drowned out as the fingers became a bit longer.

With a final wave of her wand, Lily's new orange strands wove themselves into braids and became affixed to her head in a spiral crown, leaving Queen Maeve to stand in front of Lily's mirror, wearing a school girl uniform.

Alice and Aisha were still throwing spells at each other, either trying to make themselves look terrible and succeeding, or trying to make each other look pretty and failing miserably.

"What are you doing?"

"Alice," giggled Aisha in a hushed tone. "Is right now going for Buttercup Tomlinson."

"…"

"Aisha, on the other hand," snickered Alice. "Is going to be Julie Wallace – oh, excuse me, Julia Wolloce."

"Don't forget to smear my lippy-gloss after my lengthy make out session with my hunk of burning love, BFF Potter!!!"

"B-BFF Potter??"

"Yeah, BoyFriend Forever, James Potter. God, they'll probably get married and get a truck load of rich, snobby brats, ready to take Hogwarts by storm," snorted Alice.

"Makes me glad I'll be long gone from this place!" tittered Aisha.

"Yeah, but your kids won't!"

Lily felt strange. She remembered James' letter to Flor and tried to picture him married to Buttercup.

She couldn't.

At long last, Alice sneaked a glance at Lily and gaped.

"Good lord, its that woman on the Froggie Cards!"

Aisha looked too and stared. "It's Maeve."

"W-o-w, Lils. I had no idea you were this good!"

Lily shrugged, suddenly very aware of the secret she was keeping from her friends. "I've always been good at charms."

Professor Flitwick ambled towards them and observed Lily attentively.

"Wonderful work, Ms Evans, simply wonderful! Such details… Have you ever done such spells before?"

Under her friends' questioning gaze, Lily couldn't bring herself to hem and haw around the question; Aisha and Alice would notice right away. She made herself look square into her teacher's eyes and lie.

"Not particularly, Professor, but I have done charms in this category before."

Still speculative, Flitwick nodded slowly. "Yes… I see… Well, brilliant, Miss Evans. 20 points to Gryffindor… Such excellent work for a first try…" and with that, he turned to Al and Aish. "You two, on the other hand, seem and bit heavy handed with the color here… Take your time… Swish and – "

Lily made herself turn back to her desk and rework details on her appearance, weakening the spell a bit, turning her eyes a bit greener, leaving a freckle intact here and there, so she didn't look perfect…

Unbeknown to Lily, someone had been watching what she was doing with an interested gleam in their blue eyes.

They had been watching, and noticing.

_**doremifasolasi doremifasolasi doremifasolasi doremifasolasi doremifasolasi doremifasolasi**_

"So, Miz Collins, what's on the agenda?" said Flor brightly, bouncing up on her chair. She was wearing a standard Japanese schoolgirl uniform, her hair in pigtails, and knee high socks with black cute shoes.

Of course, the shoes had Japanese butterflies flying slowly over their surface, the knee high socks had flowers growing on the fabric in all colors of the rainbow, and little crazy-colored fish were swimming all over the surface of her navy jacket while fairies played hide and seek in the plaid of her mid-thigh skirt.

Miz Collins looked over her outfit dubiously. "That's really cute, Flor but – "

"No worries," said Flor brightly as she played with long blood-red plaits, her emerald eyes scrunched in amicable amusement. "All I have to do it – " Flor then hummed a bar from a song, and instantly all the activity on her clothes ceased, freezing the various flora and fauna on the pattern of their fabric. Flor then hummed the rest of the bar, and the clothes sprang to life once more.

"Clever," nodded Miz Collins. "All righty – today you're meeting with Cami Charleston, a reporter from "Wizard Wonder". Answer a few questions, yada yada."

Flor nodded. "I know the drill, but… isn't WW a bit… suspicious?"

"You mean it's a tabloid rag? Yes, it is. It also happens to be a hugely popular tabloid rag. So, just run with it."

With a final shrug, Flor hopped off her seat and followed Miz Collins to the interview room. There, a soft-looking woman with mahogany hair with dark highlights and black glasses sat. She was pretty, in a girl-next-door kind of way, a subtle prettiness; not the type of person Flor had thought would work for a tabloid.

"Hi!" the woman chirruped in a sweet voice, her eyes large and innocent. Flor noticed they were very pretty, a nice burgundy color, like old wine or aged wood. "Thanks so much for meeting me!"

Flor settled on the chair facing the interviewer. "Thank you for your interest, Miss Charleston."

Cami Charleston laughed. "Please, call me Cami. All right then… Thank you, Miz Collins, for setting this up. It means so much to us at "Wizard Wonder"!"

Miz Collins recognized a dismissal when she heard one. When Flor smiled at her encouragingly, the manager excused herself and left the two ladies alone in the luxurious room to check on tour dates.

Cami smiled. "Soo, miss Hyancinthus – "

"Flor is fine," interrupted the starlet.

"Flor. So, Flor, you're already a huge star in the wizarding world, and yet you work constantly to build up a Muggle fan base. Not enough wizards to satisfy you?" laughed Cami.

Flor smiled back. "No, nothing like that. It's just that I love music, and I love to share my passion with everyone who'd care to listen. I don't see, just because I'm a witch, that non-wizards should be deprived, I guess, from something that can easily be shared – music."

"Non-wizards – how diplomatic!" Cami teased. "So, you think that magic should be shared with Muggles?"

Flor frowned. "Not exactly. Of course it would be a terrible idea to open the flood-gates and tell the rest of the world about the wizarding community – what I mean is music in general is versatile, it can cross the border between magic and non-magic. There's no reason why one should be able to have some kinds of music and the other, not."

"I see. You are aware most wizarding stars don't share your… passion for Muggles? Why so keen on them?"

"Well, they're people too, they just can't do magic."

Cami giggled at that, as if Flor had said something funny. "How generous! You really are a mysterious person, you know? Why the mystery?"

"Like I've said before – " started Flor, but Cami cut her off.

"Of course, of course. Not to mix the two! But is there anything… private, you just don't want the world to know? A secret? Your real name, perhaps?"

"I-"

"Because we've checked, you know. No one named Flora Hyacinthus, wizard or Muggle, or even Flor. Well, one or two Flors, but they couldn't be you. You couldn't possibly be a 90-year-old Muggle in Yorkshire at a retirement home, could you? Exactly how old are you?"

Flor took a deep breath. "I'd rather not say."

"I'd rather not say," breathed Cami. Her burgundy eyes were wide. "Obviously, you're young – the spells on you aren't powerful enough to change your appearance that much. But… by just a few years… I'd say… About… from 10 to 18… Am I right?"

Flor opened her mouth, hesitant.

Cami spoke before her, giggling. "Of course I'm right! After all, that's the age span of Hogwarts students, isn't it?"

Flor felt her blood freeze in her veins. She should have known the journalist would have known something like that…

Cami leaned towards Flor. "So what year are you? 3rd? 4th? 5th? What's your favorite subject? What's your house? Ravenclaw? Gryffindor?"

Flor schooled her face to be perfectly blank. "I really don't see how that would concern you."

The reporter's hands clenched and she sat up, a wild look in her wide burgundy eyes. She laughed again – this time, she didn't seem innocent at all. "_You don't see how that _concerns_ me_? Of course it concerns me! Everything about you concerns me! Concerns the world! When are you going to get through you pretty little head that the day you became famous, _you belonged to us, to the public_!! That's the price of fame! Soon, we'll find out every last thing about you – your name, your age, your parents, your past, your friends, what's your favorite color, what you look like without makeup, who you're screwing – "

Flor sucked in her breath, stunned.

"- How dare you try to keep your life 'private'?! Nothing about you is private! I you're your kind – the nefarious little minxes who try to weasel out of you're due, who thinks that you're still your 'own person' – you're wrong! We **own** you! We _made_ you – the fans, the reporters: you would be NOTHING without us! NOTHING!"

Shell-shocked, Flor sat there, eyes wide. When she finally got herself composed, she opened her mouth and –

In banged Miz Collins with Semp, Flor's bodyguard. She smiled coldly. "My, my, look at the clock. I'm afraid Miss Flor is out of time. Semp, would you be so kind as to show Miss Charleston the way out? We wouldn't want her getting lost. Don't forget to drop her off at the security office, they might want to talk to her."

And with that, without waiting for Cami Charleston's go-by, Semp grabbed her arm and hustled her out of the room. Miz Collins turned to Flor, about to bombard her with questions, when she saw the look on Flor's face.

"…Li-"

"I just sat there," the girl whispered through numb lips. "She insulted me, threatened me, and I – I just… I just sat there, and waited to be rescued…"

Miz Collins approached her charge carefully. "Lily – " when the girl flinched at the name, the witch hastily switched to her stage name. "Flor, don't let that get to you. That woman, she's – she's unbalanced…"

"Is it true?" Flor looked up, her eyes unfathomable, haunted. "Do people really think that of me? I – "

"No." Flor started. She had never heard that tone from her manager before. "No. You're not going to start second guessing yourself, agonizing over others. Yes, some people think that you have no right to yourself, that that is the price you pay. But they're wrong."

With a sigh, Miz Collins sat in the chair that Cami had previously occupied. "The loss of privacy is an occupational hazard, but not a – a requirement. You work for your popularity, for your music – you work hard. You have a double identity, which is stressful enough, as well as being a top student in your school – and not because of who you are, but because of what you do. Honestly, your life would be simpler if you didn't do what you loved."

Andrea leaned over and grasped Flor's cold hands. "People like her… They're wrong. Wrong in the mind. You belong to no one but yourself, and you belong to no one for doing what you truly love. So come on – snap out of it, Flor."

Flor looked down for the longest time, before squaring her shoulders and looking up. Andrea started as she looked in her charge's emerald eyes, as she saw the change in them. Lily – Flor – had learned an important lesson today, and she wouldn't soon forget it.

"Thank you, Miz Collins," said Flor clearly and blandly. "I better get back to work. On the bright side, the interview ended early, so we're ahead on the schedule, for once."

Miz Collins nodded slowly. "Yes. For once…"

Miz Collins bent down and grabbed a stray piece of parchment that Cami Charleston had let fall. No notes covered it – only scribbles: black, dark abstract and violent lines that criss-crossed the paper, with the occasional Flora written and circled hundreds of times. Miz Collins felt a chill at the sight.

Semp came back, this time reporter-free. Flor was busy with one of her band members, going over guitar chores for her next live audience.

"What's your report?"

"The real journalist from 'Wizard Wonder' arrived approximately 23 minutes late, due to someone blocking the East side entrance chimney with a number of spells."

Andrea glanced at Flor. "Any information on who Cami Charleston is?"

Semp shook his great head slowly. "None yet. It is believed that Cami Charleston is a pseudonym of some kind."

Andrea handed him the woman's 'notes'. "Find everything about her. Everything.

"And make sure that Flor doesn't know anything about the real journalist." Semp nodded and lumbered away.

Andrea let her breathe out in a hiss slowly, unable to shake the feeling that someone was trying to hurt her starlet.

But as she saw Flor's carefully blank face, she realized that it was a bit late for that.

_**Ho ho ho ho ho!**_

_**BONUS PREVIEW OF CHAPTER 11!!! WOOOOOO!**_

Buttercup Tomlinson was a very pretty girl, and she knew it. While her beauty might have been a bit 'stereotypical' – dirt-blonde hair, brown-blue eyes – Buttercup never let anything come to her thanks only to her looks. What she wanted, she went after it and took it.

Buttercup, despite the appearance of her name, was no bimbo. She took hard classes, got good grades in them – not the best, but definitively in the top ten – and fully planned to take over her father's company one day. As if she'd let her slimy cousin get her father's job and ruin a successful company into the ground.

Of course, Buttercup was a bit self-centered, which usually comes about when one is taken care of their whole lives. Buttercup was very image oriented, and worried often about what she projected towards people. For example, she told everyone at Hogwarts that she was named Buttercup because her parents had met in a field of buttercups – even though her parents had really met at a boring conference in the middle of December.

In fact, it was Tomlinson lore that Buttercup was named Buttercup because her mother, during her pregnancy, smothered everything she ate in butter, and could always be seen with a little tub of butter for approximately 7 months and a half. It made for a very cute story at Christmas, but Buttercup would rather eat three tubs of butter and ruing her metabolism for the next three months rather that let anyone find out that piece of juicy information. She'd never hear the end of it.

Buttercup was a very cool, calm, collected person. She thought first, acted later, and rarely let emotions take over – the most important rules of business. And Buttercup was definitively her father's daughter.

However, on a Friday morning, right after Tessa, Tara and Fran stumbled into seats next to her and James plopped a good morning kiss on her cheek, and right after Buttercup opened up her 'Witch Weekly' magazine, Buttercup Tomlinson felt anything but calm and collected. In fact, she lost her cool. She could only gaze at the magazine, her eyes as round as saucers. She let her fork fall down to the marble floor, startling her breakfast companions.

"Oh – my – GOD," was all Buttercup could gurgle.

"What! What??" dying of curiosity, the T-twins hopped off their seats and leaned over to see the cover of the magazine.

When they saw the cover, they weren't speechless. On the contrary, they screamed. Loudly.

The whole of Hogwarts would have turned towards the two frenzied girls, had not Hufflepuff London York gotten up at that moment, screeching nonsense.

And soon, girls all over the Great Hall began gasping and yelping and generally becoming quite hysterical, along with a couple of boys who could only fan themselves while hyperventilating madly.

The rest of the male population of Hogwarts, who obviously did not read 'Witch Weekly' and looked slightly alarmed at all this outpouring of estrogen, finally understood what was going on when the tiny Ravenclaw president of the _Hogwarts First Year Flora Hyacinthus Fan Club_ got up and shrieked as loudly as her little lungs could allow, which was still at a surprisingly high decibel level: "Flora Hyacinthus is a student at Hogwarts! She's here!_ She's here!_ **SHE'S IN THIS VERY ROOM RIGHT NOW!"**

Which of course, only served to make the girls madder, and more than one boy started looking around wildly, checking out all the girls they could see.

Teachers were clamoring for attention, girls were screaming, boys were looking around, taking bets as to who Flor was in the room, and chaos descended upon Hogwarts.

Lily groaned quietly and wished she knew how to Dissaparate.

**A/N: This chapter was kinda long – a bit of a bonus for you guys for being sooo good to me! I'm gonna try to be more regular from now on, but I don't think I'll be able to update so soon usually. Soo? A medium chapter would be about half of this. A long chapter would be about this size, yup. Any more questions? Pole is open!!!**

**Don't forget: submit your fave songs or original poetry/lyrics, and they could be included in the story! All props go to you. :)**


	11. A Flower's NSS Language

**A/N: Sorry, sorry! But with all those exams and all… But yeah. OK.**

**I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL! WHOOO! HELLO COLLEGE! Okay. Done now. Back to work!**

_**Chapter 11: A Flower's Not So Secret Language**_

_Lily of the Valley for humility_

_Monkshood for danger and chivalry_

_Red roses for "Love strong and true"_

_Sweet blue salvias for "I think of you"_

_In just six dainty petals flowers_

_Can say what'd take me hours_

_Why does my bouquet_

_Has no borage or burnet?_

_I should just give you a spiderflower_

_Throw away the Oleander_

_Give me a dandelion – _

_I guess I'll just have to keep trying…_

'_Language of Flowers (Part 1)'_

_Flora Hyacinthus_

_Album "Buds of…", Music Box Records_

Buttercup Tomlinson was a very pretty girl, and she knew it. While her beauty might have been a bit 'stereotypical' – dirt-blonde hair, brown-blue eyes – Buttercup never let anything come to her thanks only to her looks. What she wanted, she went after it and took it.

Buttercup, despite the appearance of her name, was no bimbo. She took hard classes, got good grades in them – not the best, but definitively in the top ten – and fully planned to take over her father's company one day. As if she'd let her slimy cousin get her father's job and ruin a successful company into the ground.

Of course, Buttercup was a bit self-centered, which usually comes about when one is taken care of their whole lives. Buttercup was very image oriented, and worried often about what she projected towards people. For example, she told everyone at Hogwarts that she was named Buttercup because her parents had met in a field of buttercups – even though her parents had really met at a boring conference in the middle of December.

In fact, it was Tomlinson lore that Buttercup was named Buttercup because her mother, during her pregnancy, smothered everything she ate in butter, and could always be seen with a little tub of butter for approximately 7 months and a half. It made for a very cute story at Christmas, but Buttercup would rather eat three tubs of butter and ruing her metabolism for the next three months rather that let anyone find out that piece of juicy information. She'd never hear the end of it.

Buttercup was a very cool, calm, collected person. She thought first, acted later, and rarely let emotions take over – the most important rules of business. And Buttercup was definitively her father's daughter.

However, on a Friday morning, right after Tessa, Tara and Fran stumbled into seats next to her and James plopped a good morning kiss on her cheek, and right after Buttercup opened up her 'Witch Weekly' magazine, Buttercup Tomlinson felt anything but calm and collected. In fact, she lost her cool. She could only gaze at the magazine, her eyes as round as saucers. She let her fork fall down to the marble floor, startling her breakfast companions.

"Oh – my – GOD," was all Buttercup could gurgle.

"What! What??" dying of curiosity, the T-twins hopped off their seats and leaned over to see the cover of the magazine.

When they saw the cover, they weren't speechless. On the contrary, they screamed. Loudly.

The whole of Hogwarts would have turned towards the two frenzied girls, had not Hufflepuff London York gotten up at that moment, screeching nonsense.

And soon, girls all over the Great Hall began gasping and yelping and generally becoming quite hysterical, along with a couple of boys who could only fan themselves while hyperventilating madly.

The rest of the male population of Hogwarts, who obviously did not read 'Witch Weekly' and looked slightly alarmed at all this outpouring of estrogen, finally understood what was going on when the tiny Ravenclaw president of the _Hogwarts First Year Flora Hyacinthus Fan Club_ got up and shrieked as loudly as her little lungs could allow, which was still at a surprisingly high decibel level: "Flora Hyacinthus is a student at Hogwarts! She's here!_ She's here!_ **SHE'S IN THIS VERY ROOM RIGHT NOW!"**

Which of course, only served to make the girls madder, and more than one boy started looking around wildly, checking out all the girls they could see.

Teachers were clamoring for attention, girls were screaming, boys were looking around, taking bets as to who Flor was in the room, and chaos descended upon Hogwarts.

Lily groaned quietly and wished she knew how to Dissaparate.

_**:)Itsanendlesssummer!!**_

James Potter was an exceptionally bright boy. Despite his status as one of the "biggest distraction to ever grace Hogwarts' hallowed halls", he got some of the best grades his teachers had ever seen – to their utter confusion, as the last thing James ever did in class was actually listen.

However, his greatest accomplishment, as far as he believed, was keeping the fact that James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were actually Prongs, Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail.

Some suspected, of course, but no one could garner any proof: had there been even a shred of evidence the four Gryffindors had been responsible for so many of the Marauder debacles, they would have been expelled and back on the Express before they could even blink. They had, after all, broken just about every rule in the book.

James took great pride in masterminding the pranks, and felt even better when he played with people's minds with concerning the identity of the Marauders.

For example, he had once written a six-part essay entitled, in the order of appearance: "Why the Marauders are all from Slytherin", "Why the Marauders are all from Hufflepuff", "Why the Marauders are all from Ravenclaw", "Why the Marauders are all from Gryffindor", "Why the Marauders are all from Completely Different Houses", and "Why the Marauders Don't Even Attend Hogwarts Anyways".

Professor Binns had puzzled over that one for quite some time, poring over the documents and even sharing them with fellow teachers, who each adopted a favorite position and defended it all throughout the year.

James loved every second. He knew that no one really believed him to be a Marauder, as he was simply too lazy to pull of pranks like these, just as Sirius Black was dumb and too busy chasing girls, Remus Lupin was too responsible, and Peter Pettigrew simply too cowardly (how the boy had ever made it into Gryffindor, no one knew) to ever be a Marauder.

**A/N: Okay, I know everyone writes in fan fiction how the identity of the Marauders was no big secret, and everyone knew it was our fave four (well, three)-some. BUT: remember in the Prisoner of Azkaban, when Snape finds the map and it insults him (Mr. Moony would like to tell Snivellus and all that), Remus tells him its no big deal? Snape went to school w/ the Marauders, and Remus. Had he known that Remus was actually a Marauder and the one they call Moony, wouldn't Snape have called Remus on it? I'm a firm believer in the fact that the Marauders remained anonymous. If you believe the contrary, tell me about it in a review, or PM me. Cheers!**

The only person who apparently thought the boy was worth any good was Professor Dumbledore (who was, however, getting on in age) and Professor McGonagall (who was terribly biased, the child coming from her own house).

However, James' smarts and his exceptional Quidditch talents simply could not be denied. And thus, James went on to rule the school, adored and envied by his peers, closely watched by disgruntled teachers who were secretly proud of his exceptional achievements, and generally loved by all of Hogwarts (or so he imagined).

Therefore, it was exceptionally aggravating when people ridiculed him.

"Hey James, how's Flor this morning?"

"Send you any pretty flowers lately?"

"Does Buttercup know about this?"

"Flora… Buttercup… Didn't know you liked flowers that much! D'you have a garden at home?"

Smiling tightly, James sat down, inwardly sweating.

As any good Quidditch player, James kept a tight rein on his emotions, and never let anyone see him sweat (figuratively speaking, of course. Girls considered sweaty Quidditch players very sexy), but this Flor situation was driving him up the wall.

It had been nearly a week, the party being on Sunday night, today being Friday. Why hadn't she responded? Would she ever, before James got buried in ridicule?

So James just sat there and sweated, wishing fervently for Flor to get his letter and just RESPOND!

As James threw that one desperate plea, to the sky, someone, or something, be it God, Allah, Buddha, Jesus, Zeus, or just pure dumb luck, heeded his call, for before James had time to even sigh, a white owl swooped down from above and dropped a letter in his lap. A small letter, written on pale green lettering, with minuscule flowers blooming on the edge of the envelope.

James felt a smirk erupt on his face. Soon, he was grinning madly, waiving the letter.

Hestia, who had just been about to take a bite out of her bagel, dropped it with a gasp. Emmeline looked over, and with a nudge, she got Kingsley's attention.

All three stared. "No way!" they gaped.

Soon the whole Quidditch team, Remus and Peter were staring at the tiny letter. It was easily recognizable – official Flora Hyacinthus letterhead, not available in stores (and copyright spells kept unscrupulous people from charming their own letterhead to resemble Flora's.

As soon as James opened the letter, a lilting lullaby erupted from the envelope. Everyone recognized it: it was Flora Hyacinthus's new single. Kingsley moaned and handed some Galleons over to Sirius.

James blinked at Sirius: he had thought Padfoot considered his meeting with Flor a total fabrication. Sirius winked. "You're many things, my friend, but you're not a liar."

Secretly pleased, James unfolded the letter.

_Mr. James – _

_I must admit, your letter and our impromptu meeting in the stairs caught me a bit unawares. First, let me thank you for saving my bauble (and me!) from a possibly damaging tumble down the famous Hogwarts' stairs. I cannot believe I have been so rude as not to properly thank you for your timely arrival! This little glass ball has much sentimental value for me, and lets just say that my manager would have been a little miffed had I gotten lost in Hogwarts, or worse, hurt, though "miffed" is a bit of an understatement. She is quite… overprotective. Of course, what else could an accident-prone girl like me could ever wish for?_

_You know, one day I will have to take up on your offer to show me around this castle you call school. It is impressive, to say the least! How on Earth does one find their classes in a place like this? And I must admit you piqued my interest with all that talk of "interesting" things and all. I can only imagine the secrets Hogwarts must contain… _

_I all terribly sorry about your status as a hard-working-yet-hardly-respected 6__th__ year, and I hope that soon people will come to realize how much you deserve more, for all your talent, hard work and "good looks". It would be a shame to see all that potential unexplored!! I can, however, sympathize. I know how gauche it would be of me to whine about my lot in live, as it is a pretty good lot, but I must admit it is a bit tiring to be compared to other bubble-gum pop singers, or painted as an empty head who had the fortune to be graced with good genes and a passable singing voice; in other words, that my fame comes from a combination of other people's songs and pure luck. I assure you, I write or co-write everything I sing! Some of the songs are not particularly deep, I admit, but not everything in life should be heavy and meaningful, don't you think? Sometimes, you just want to let loose and have fun. My music reflects that side of me, as well as my more pensive moods._

_But enough whining! I regret that I did not talk to you more – it's a funny thing, really. I get onstage, in front of a mic, and there are no inhibitions. Actually, in private, I'm quite shy and reserved! Not that you would know; how I have been going on and on in this letter!_

_Well, here is "me" in a nutshell: I'm 5'2", I have red hair, green eyes and invisible freckles (thank goodness for cosmetics!). I'm a very private person, which can be hard on those around me, but I for the people I do let in… I make it worth the wait. I love Quidditch like a boy, and I hate being bored like a three year old. I have no patience when it comes to being unamused – besides, when I'm bored I do drastic things, much to my manager's dismay._

_So, that's Flor in a nutshell. I'm waiting for your next letter impatiently!_

_Flora Hyacinthus_

A pressed and dried blue periwinkle was stuck next to Flor's loopy signature.

As James finished reading the letter, a silence settled over the little group. It stayed there for about 5 seconds, before a cacophony of sounds chased it away in all haste.

"Oh dear MERLIN – "

" – I can't believe this – "

"Life is SO unfair…"

"He wasn't lying!!"

Sirius nudged James and wiggled his eyebrows. "_I make it worth the wait_? You sly dog, you!"

Remus muttered under his breath, "Wouldn't that be you, Siri?"

Hestia pointed to the periwinkle. "Look! Look!"

Kingsley looked at the flower. "What about it?"

Hestia rolled her eyes. "She's telling you something! The language of flowers, remember?"

James looked up. "Right! Ahoy, Frank! Know anything about herbology?"

Frank scrunched his nose. "Er, no, but Alice might!" Alice had a born in affinity for all things green and growing.

"Oy, Alice!"

Alice looked up as Frank motioned her to come closer. "What?"

Remus pointed at letter. "Do you know what that flower is?"

Alice nodded. "Yeah, that's a blue periwinkle. It means early friendship in flower speech."

Marlene sighed. "Oh, that's so sweet!"

Alice was about to go back to her breakfast, when she turned towards the letter again, frowning. "What the…"

"I know!" cried Daniel. "Its from FLOR!"

"Really?" said Alice, thoroughly confused. "But that handwriting… I could've sworn – "

"Hey, Als!" rang a voice from the other side of the table.

With a last frown, Alice went back to her seat after Frank gave her one more peck on her cheek.

At that moment, Buttercup Tomlinson flounced to James and plopped herself down next to him, turning her face upwards for a kiss.

James was so high off of having proven his meeting with Flor that he gave her a resounding smack on the cheek – not that he needed to be in a particularly good mood to snog his girlfriend.

Lily watched James nervously as he waved the letter he had just received around, rubbing the salt in ("HA! I won't say I told you so… but I do believe apologies are in order!!"). It had been a close one with Alice seeing the letter…

Alice was still frowning when she sat down. "James Potter got a letter from Flora Hyacinthus."

Aisha looked up, startled. "It was true?"

"Yeah… But I swore I've seen that handwriting before…"

"Really? That doesn't make sense…"

Lily interjected calmly. "I think it does. She's famous, right? Meaning that some time or another, you must've seen her handwriting, be it on an autographed picture, in the tabloids… We see a lot more of Flor than we think we do."

Alice nodded slowly, though still looking doubtful. "I guess…"

Sighing, Lily thanked her quick thinking for dodging the bullet… for now. Alice was no fool.

And just when Lily Evans thought herself out of the frying pan, she fell into the fire.

"Flora Hyacinthus is a student at Hogwarts! She's here!_ She's here!_ **SHE'S IN THIS VERY ROOM RIGHT NOW!"**

_**thesecretlanguageofflowers…**_

Professor McGonagall thought herself a rather proficient teacher. She had been teaching for a good 20 years now, entering her early forties. As the Gryffindor Head and Transfiguration teacher, she had been fairly certain she had seen everything… until now.

All hell had officially broken loose. How would any normal school react, when told one of the most famous starlets to have ever graced the cover of magazines around the country was in fact a student just like them, possibly in the very room?

Even the teachers looked flabbergasted. Professor Slughorn was blinking rapidly, looking around wildly. "W-what? Here? But – polyjuice potion hasn't been used – I would have noticed – "

Even the giant groundskeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, was shaking his head dolefully. "Fi'st the Marauders, now this Flor girl… Crazy kids with their secret identities…"

Only Professor Dumbledore seemed unaffected. He slowly got up and clapped his hands, which would have gone unnoticed if not for the spell on them, which made the sound echo around the room until the ceiling shook and students had to clap their hands over their ears.

Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Now, now, students. Miss Flor might not be "here". I will remind you a number of students have not yet arrived at breakfast…"

Before the words had left his mouth, a stampede of students made a beeline for the doors, eager to start prowling the halls in wild hope of catching a little redheaded singer dancing through the halls in platform shoes and shorts made out of flower stems (though the chances were none to very slim to none).

Professor Lunesta jumped up from her chair. "U-um – Advanced Ancient Runes students, please remember our weekend fieldtrip to Stonehenge! Be at the door straight after classes"

Professor Burns blinked at the excited crowd of students, an expression of distaste on her face. "I doubt anyone could hear you over this racket, Lune. But don't worry – I'll find this girl myself, and she'll be in quite the trouble for disturbing class like that – "

"Pardon me," said Dumbledore calmly. "But classes have not been disturbed as of yet."

Burns glanced back at her superior. "Headmaster – they'll be unteachable all day – "

"Perhaps for an inexperienced teacher," said McGonagall frostily, who harbored no love for Burns, who seemed to be quite discriminatory towards some of her students, namely Potter, Pettigrew, Black, and Evans.

Minerva could understand why Burns was not overfond of the boys, but Pettigrew was so harmless, Lupin was a good Prefect, and Evans was such a timid little creature, she could not fathom while Burns was so harsh on her.

Burns colored, before turning back towards Dumbledore. "But shouldn't we find this girl first?" Murmurs of agreement rose from most of the other teachers. Slughorn leaned forwards eagerly.

Finally, Dumbledore pushed his chair back. "You must have a very poor opinion of your Headmaster, if you all think that I was not aware of Miss Flor being part of our student body."

The teachers grew very quiet – very quickly.

"As far as I know, Miss Flor makes many appearances all over the country, all of which would be impossible without my knowledge and consent to let one of my students out of the castle during the school year.

"Miss Flor is a good student here, and her profession has brought no cause for complaint from me – or from you.

"Now, I've promised Miss Flor anonymity, and I intend to deliver. I am more than aware that all of you easily contain the power to uncover this secret – but I ask you now not to pursue this. The situation is well in hand, and thus I do not believe that such private information should be made public."

"But – but, we're her teachers!" Blustered an aging Bins.

"Her teachers," smiled Dumbledore calmly. "Not her parents. Had the fact that Flora Hyacinthus attends Hogwarts come to your attention if this article had not been published?"

"I-I'm not sure I understand," ventured Professor Sinatra.

"What I mean is, would anyone of you have guessed Flora came to Hogwarts? Does a particular student come to mind?"

A pressing silence settled over the table.

"Good day," murmured Dumbledore, and left by the side door.

Professor Burns glared at the remaining straggling Gryffindors. Professor McGonagall's eyes flashed.

"There's no need to stare at my students, so, Fia," she said acidly at Burns.

"Just noticed how very – **red** miss Evans' hair is," noticed Miss Burns, her eyes never leaving the subdued 6th year.

The tension around the table collapsed when almost every teacher broke out laughing, especially as they watched the poor girl get up only to topple back against the bench and fall backwards on her bottom.

Professor Slughorn chuckled. "As much as I adore miss Evans, you could be no farther from the truth. You want to make us believe the graceful, willowy Flora, famous for her dancing abilities, is Miss Evans, who has the remarkable aptitude of tripping over air?"

Burns colored. "She looks like her! Look at her hair – and she's petite, as well as her green eyes!"

Professor Flitwick shook his head with a smile. "It is quite obvious Flor performs many charms to alter he appearance on stage. Besides, many girls have red hair and green eyes.:

"Or," interjected Hagrid. "Maybe the lass just wanted to have red hair and bright eyes. I bet she actually has brown hair or summat."

Professor Sinatra nodded. "Miss Evans would be too evident. Her personality being Flor's polar opposite aside, the real Flor would never be so obvious. She is obviously very different in real life than her alter ego."

"Miss York might have the resources to pull it off," offered Professor Sprouts.

"But not the intellect," said Burns nastily. Snorts of laughter were heard. Sprouts glared.

And thus was sparked the great debate over Hyacinthus' house.

"It would take the intelligence of a Ravenclaw to be able to juggle school and career so efficiently and discreetly!"

"Posh. Its obvious that it takes cunning to deceive so many people successfully, something that is clearly a Slytherin trait!"

"Only a truly brave and energetic person could take such risks and conquer them – not to mention, to get the guts to sing in front of so many people! Completely Gryffindor."

"I'm sorry, do you know anything about Miss Flor? Such a kind heart and a beautiful voice could only come from Helga Hufflepuff's house! She was an accomplished performer, as is our Fat Friar! He started Hogwarts first choir!"

"Well, there's an accomplishment!" muttered a teacher.

Fiamela Burns' eyes never left Lily Evans shiny, bright _**red**_ locks as the tiny girl ambled out of the Great Hall, as if in shock.

_**IfIcantholdyoucanigiveyouakisscanihaveakiss…**_

Aluma Lunesta stared at the rag tag little band she had amassed for her overnight weekend field trip for Advanced Ancient Runes, exasperated.

Really! Half the class had been at the Hospital Wing, apparently "too sick to be away for two days". They were going to Stonehenge, not the Americas, for the Moon's Sake!

Sick with Flora fever, thought Aluma sourly, before turning back to her remaining, brave students. "Thank you for coming, at least – " She stopped, when she noticed that, well, the 10 students of so in front of her, well, were -

"Actually," said one of the boys sheepishly. "I think we're in your way. We just were forming a Flor search party and… um, we'll get out of your hair…"

And finally, the crazed students parted to reveal – Lily Evans, holding a worn but serviceable travel bag, smiling at her, embarrassed.

"Aisha really _is_ sick," she grimaced. "She kind of got trampled by some first years in the Defense of the Dark Arts class, and stepped on a cursed monkey's paw. Miss Pomfrey just got the purple spots to fade a bit, but she's still working on trying to make her stop swearing in Hindi whenever someone says 'jar.' "

"Jar," repeated Aluma dumbly.

"You'd be surprised how often it comes up in a conversation in the Hospital Wing."

"…Why jar?"

"Oh. I'm not sure, actually. For the time being, hearing it makes her go ballistic in Hindi."

"So. You – "

"Yes."

"That's it."

"I'm afraid."

"Wh…"

"Flor hunting. Everyone wants to be the first to find Flor."

"Ah."

"And those who aren't actually looking are just getting run over. Hence Aisha."

"I see."

"Are you going to reschedule?"

"Can't. It was the only weekend available for this semester."

"Cancel?"

"Already paid. Might as well."

"Might as well."

"Portkey's going to activate soon."

"Oh – I'll come closer, then."

"Um…"

"Yes, Professor?"

"Oh, you know. The usual. Stick with the er… group, don't try to topple or climb on the stones, hex muggles, or try to grave your name on the monument."

"…"

"As a matter of fact, some people have tried. Last time, the Office Branch taking care of the area got so aggravated, they hexed the stones so if you try to write anything on it, it'll turn back on you."

"So if someone were to – "

"Same thing would happen to you."

"Ouch."

"Goodness; last time we came, one student actually did it. Had his name carved into his forehead for three months afterwards; took Miss Pomfrey forever to figure out how to make magical scars disappear."

"Ah."

"They usually don't, you know."

"Really?"

"Especially ones on the forehead."

"…Unfortunate, I guess…"

And at that, thankfully, the Portkey appeared, saving poor Miss Evans and Professor Lunesta from more unfortunate small talk.

_**Isanybodyoutthere?**_

PREVIEW FOR (THE VERY SOON IN COMING!!!!) CHAPTER 12

Lily looked around dejectedly. Stonehenge was, of course, magnificent. That wasn't the problem.

At every turn, she could see burgundy colored eyes burning into hers… Could hear the accusations flung at her echo in the faces of the crazed students who were hell-bent on finding Flor first, whatever for, Lily didn't know.

At that, Lily smiled thinly. She held perverse joy at the knowledge that school was going to be all abuzz in their search for Flor – when she wasn't even going to be there. How was that for justice?

Looking around once more, she sighed and was about to turn back to the Ministry of Magic's Office Branch, a charming log cabin that fit a small chalet (a sort of mountain mansion, like a ski lodge or something) inside, ready to accommodate magical school field trips.

Some field trip, thought Lily morosely. Alice wasn't even in Ancient Runes, and Aisha… Well, she had been secretly glad get an opportunity to escape Burns hawkish eyes when she accompanied Aisha to Miss Pomfrey's Wing. The girl's timing was impeccable.

Just the thought of Burns finding out the truth made her blood turn to ice… The crazed laughter of Cami rang in her ears.

As Lily started trudging back to the cabin, she turned a corner and stumbled – right into someone's solid, warm chest.

With a little gasp, Lily jumped back, and looked up and up and up…

At Ric Lyon's face, a.k.a., the most daring and talented Seeker since Hars Potter.


	12. A Flower's Conversation

**A/N: Hey hey! Sooo… COLLEGE in a week! I'm going into Washington D.C. for my University, going 2 B soooo much fun!!! And work.**

**I have NO idea how long this is gonna be… I realize that in ten chapters, I've basically gone from a span of, lets see, like, 2-3 weeks, tops? I'll try to speed up, cause I'm not planning on writing an epic here! But so much is supposed to happen at the same time… All right then. Gotta keep going! Happy summer to y'all out there:)**

_**!DEATHLY HALLOWS RANT/SPOILER::**_

**AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! TO EVERYBODY OUT THERE: LILY EVANS WAS NOOOOOTTTTT IN LOVE WITH SNAPE! SNAPE WAS IN LOVE WITH LILY!!!!!! ****LILY LOVES JAMES! JAMES, I TELL YOU!**** Sorry about that. Had to get it off my chest….**

**Anybody read Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer? I loved and hated it at the same time…Can't believe we'll have to wait an extra YEAR to read the fourth one…**

**I'd like to address all this far-fetched nonsense about James being Ric: come on, you guys. That would be a tad complicated for one story, all these different identities! Besides, Ric's only here to create some romantic tension; you know, lurve triangles and all!! Him and Flor are ****not**** going to go out, but neither are Lily and James juuust yet. The story, I think, will not be any longer than 15 more chapters (I think). So that's that.**

**AUGUST 9****th**** was my B-Day! grin**

**Chapter 12: A Flower's Conversation**

_Buds of bits of little flowers_

_Buds of hope, of minutes, hours_

_Buds of you and buds of me_

_Buds of fun, of sad and happy_

_This_

_This is just the beginning_

_This is just the flowering_

_Of a beautiful thi-ing_

_Because even the tree-ees_

_Started just off with these_

_Little green buds_

_(Little green buds)_

_Buds of smiles and buds of tears_

_See them come and reappear_

_Everything must have a start_

_Everything springs from the heart_

_So here's the bud of you, of me_

_And if we water this love carefully_

_One day, we could have a flower_

_That would have the power_

_To save us all_

_Once for all_

_But every journey starts with this_

_Every mighty ruling tre-ee_

_Was once nothing smaller than a bee…_

_This_

_This is just the beginning_

_This is just the flowering_

_Of a beautiful thi-ing_

_Because even the tree-ees_

_Started just off with these_

_Little green buds_

_(Little green buds)_

_(Little green buds)_

_Flora Hyacinthus_

_Album "Buds of…", Music Box Records_

Lily Evans and Professor Lunesta stood in the middle of Stonehenge, feasting their eyes on the magnificent sight.

The Ancient Runes teacher sighed in contentment. "Stonehenge… One of the first and most important magical monuments. If you use your Teoria spells, they will reveal Rune symbols engraved in the stones. Without these markings, basic magical theory would have been lost, locking the doors to many of the spells we use today. These stones literally helped establish magic as we know it."

Lily smiled and tried to appear interested. She couldn't, however, shake the feeling that very soon, sooner than she thought, sooner than she'd hoped, her carefully planned life was going to fall to pieces…

… Well, more than it already had.

Professor Lunesta stood there awkwardly. Evans seemed quite down – maybe she was saddened by the idea that Flor was still at Hogwarts while she was here?

Anyways, the girl already knew how to perform the advanced version of the Lumos spell, used not for light, but for illuminating hidden symbols and words…

Besides, Lunesta was eager to go back to their Lodge. She had met there Gilbert Wimple, a charming boy – well, now a man – who had been in her graduating class. Apparently, he now was a Spell Developer for the Ministry of Magic, at the Committee On Experimental Charms.

Best of all, he had just come out of a particularly tedious relationship…

"…Err, Miss Evans, seeing as to how there are so few of us here, I'll, um, head back to the Lodge to… to plan tomorrow's itinerary… You stay here and have a look around, why don't you?"

Lily looked around dejectedly. Stonehenge was, of course, magnificent. That wasn't the problem.

At every turn, she could see burgundy colored eyes burning into hers… Could hear the accusations flung at her echo in the faces of the crazed students who were hell-bent on finding Flor first, whatever for, Lily didn't know.

At that, Lily smiled thinly. She held perverse joy at the knowledge that school was going to be all-abuzz in their search for Flor – when she wasn't even going to be there. How was that for justice?

Looking around once more, she sighed and was about to turn back to the Ministry of Magic's Liaison Office Branch, a charming log cabin the size of a mountain chalet, also known as the Lodge, ready to accommodate magical school field trips and such.

Some field trip, thought Lily morosely. Alice wasn't even in Ancient Runes, and Aisha… Well, she had been secretly glad get an opportunity to escape Burns' hawkish eyes when she accompanied Aisha to Miss Pomfrey's Wing. The girl's timing was impeccable.

Just the thought of Burns finding out the truth made her blood turn to ice… The crazed laughter of Cami rang in her ears.

As Lily started trudging back to the cabin, she turned a corner and stumbled – right into someone's solid, warm chest.

With a little gasp, Lily jumped back, and looked up and up and up (while a niggling feeling of deja-vue wormed up her stomach)…

At Ric Lyon's face, a.k.a., the most daring and talented Seeker since Hars Potter.

Lily stumbled back from Ric, who happened to be very, very tall. She was so surprised to see a FAMOUS Quidditch star in the middle of an ancient monument, she forgot to pretend to be awed by his presence – she had, after all, met her fair share of stars as Flor.

"Sorry, didn't see you there," she breathed.

The 6'5" Puddlemere Player raised his eyebrows.

Lily frowned defensively. "Well, you're so tall among all those stones, you kind of blend right in."

Ric stared at her blankly for a moment, and just when Lily thought her jibe had gotten lost in Ric's long, silky black locks on the way to his brain, he reared his head back and chuckled low, his voice so deep and full of mirth, it seemed to resonate around the near empty field.

"T-that's gotta be the first time someone has ever accused me of blending right in, well, anywhere." His rich, golden baritone eased some of the tension between Lily's shoulders.

She grinned impishly at him, his warm black-blue eyes melting away her inhibitions. "First time for everything."

Ric grinned at her, boasting dazzling pearly whites. "What brings a little pixie like you here around these parts?"

Lily raised her eyebrows at him this time. "I'm a bit taller than a pixie, thank you. Besides, my hair is _red_, not blue."

Ric shot her a wary look. "What did you say your name was?"

Lily shot him an amused look. "I didn't."

"Well, I'm – "

"Ric, I know."

Ric cocked his head at the puzzling girl. "Do you now?"

"We follow Quidditch at Hogwarts too."

Ric blinked at Lily slowly. "Hogwarts? The school?"

This time Lily was the one who giggled. "Is there any other Hogwarts?"

"I suppose not. Merlin, what a name…"

"In History of Magic, we're researching whether Butterbeer existed around the time Hogwarts was founded."

"And you're doing that because…"

"…Because obviously eight or nine bottles of the stuff was consumed when the Hogwarts founding parents thought up of THAT name."

Ric shook his head slowly. "Not butterbeer."

"Is that so?"

"Too mild. My galleons are on Firewhisky."

Lily glanced at him surreptitiously. "I'm holding you to that one."

Ric just smiled. They walked around comfortably, enjoying the shadows the setting sun caused the tall pillars to give out. As the last glimmer of light danced on the ancient rocks, Lily couldn't help caressing the antiquated monument, hoping to feel tremulous secrets and whispers of primordial magic the stones had once contained.

"You never told me what you're doing here," said Ric quietly, apparently as awed as Lily was by the testament of time.

"I'm here on a field trip with my Advanced Ancient Runes class," offered Lily casually, her voice a mere murmur.

Ric looked around pointedly for any other sign of life besides the two of them.

Lily smiled uncomfortably. "There's been… things going on at school, so it turns out that only I was able to go today…"

"Out of…"

"23 students."

"1 in 23, huh… I guess that makes about… 4 of the class showed up today?"

Lily applauded him lightly. "Kudos! You must be good at math, then."

"Always have," he smiled. He then frowned. "Really, you'd think students in such an advanced class would make the effort to come; if you're taking that class you must be – " Ric stopped suddenly, abashed.

"- a drip?" Lily said gently. "Its okay. You'd think so too, right? But everyone was too caught up… My friend Aisha really couldn't come; she was sick, but I am surprised by Remus Lupin."

Ric blinked at Lily. "Remus? Your boyfriend?"

Lily laughed, embarrassed. "Goodness, no! I hardly know him."

Ric smiled at Lily bashfully.

"He's just a really good student, that's all. I'd expect more from him – even though he is a bit sickly… He's out a lot, but normally only once a month, and he was out just a couple of weeks ago."

"You seem interested," joked Ric, a grin on his face.

Lily sniffed. "A bit. He and his friends are pretty popular at school – though I can't imagine someone as studious as him having friends like that. I guess I was thinking about it because I was so sure at least HE would show up today; skipping classes is more of his friends' venue."

Ric opened his mouth to say something, but Lily cut him off. "Uh uh uh!! Now it's your turn. Seeing a student here isn't THAT surprising. The real question is would be why on earth is a famous Quidditch star like yourself out and about in Stonehenge??"

Ric shrugged, looking unassuming and accessible as he laughed softly. "My agent thought it'd be a good idea if we had a photo shoot for QuidditchQraze at Stonehenge, but it got cancelled at the last minute."

Lily frowned at him, then shook her head. Ric glanced at her curiously.

"What?"

"I guess… I guess I'm surprised you're not at the Office Branch Lodge, kicking your heels and throwing a tantrum of epic proportions, firing people left and right."

He sighed, flicking a rebel lock of hair back. "I guess I'm just not like that. I just wanna play Quidditch, you know? And if that means posing for some stupid pictures, or getting my face splashed in QuidditchQraze, I don't mind. I'm doing something thousands of kids would die to do. I just wanna play the game."

Lily nodded slowly, murmuring under her breath, "I know what you mean…"

"Mmm?"

"N-nothing… So, why are you still around, if the shoot was cancelled?"

"Well, we're having the shoot tomorrow here, and it's just so beautiful…I never get this kind of opportunity, with my schedule…" His eyes became soft and unfocused; his voice dropped an octave and became pensive. "Can you imagine all those thousands, millions of people that have come here, wound through this monument, have performed complicated spells and brewed potions and – I mean, here we are in a place that is one of the foundations of – of modern magic! A whole history – a whole world – knowledge that would fill up libraries – " words seemed to fail Ric, and his voice slowly dwindled.

" – all here," finished Lily is a whisper. "Here, contained in this field… In these stones. We're literally walking amongst the great…"

Ric looked at her, his brilliant blue eyes blinking back at her. "…Yes. Yeah, that's what I meant."

Lily smiled at him. "You're pretty deep for a Quidditch player."

Ric grinned back at her. "You're pretty deep for a teenage schoolgirl."

"Aren't we a fine pair."

"We can only try…"

They sat there in silence for a while.

"Want to see something neat?"

Ric looked interested.

"Lumos Teoria!"

The tip of Lily's wand began to glow faintly, a hue of different colors that bounced and reflected over the ancient stones, not just lighting up the boulders, but illuminating faint markings, ancient runes and arithmancy carved into the very magical essence of the obelisks.

"Wow," murmured Ric, his eyes glowing. "That _is_ pretty neat…"

"Isn't it? When you activate the simple Lumos spell, you can see the markings – but only faintly, not enough to make them out. Apparently, it took the lifespan of several witches and wizards to fine tune a proper adjustment to the Lumos spell to make sense of them… That's where the Teoria branch of spells come from."

"My, my… I forgot how useful it is to have a schoolgirl around – ow! Don't – what was that for?"

"Schoolgirl?"

"You're a girl, you go to school… I'm failing to see the insult."

"You would, Mr. Snitch boy."

"… That was just low."

"… Maybe a bit."

They sat in comfortable silence, just looking up at the straggling twilight giving way to indigo night, observing the little stars appear as if Merlin was turning them on one by one with the tip of his wand.

"I'd better go soon," whispered Lily.

"I should probably get some rest," agreed Ric.

However, they continued to sit together, simply enjoying the (for once) clear sky, observing the constellations and planets in the vast, unimpeded heavens…

Until Lily's prefect badge lit up, much to her shock, while Ric's lone left earring started flashing as well.

Not content to just emanate prisms of colors, the two formerly inanimate objects started to talk rapidly as well.

"Miss Evans, please come back to the Liaison Lodge for dinner. We are expecting you in no less than 5 minutes. Thank you," faded out Professor Lunesta's voice.

"Allrighty then, Riccy'm boy! The Dep of Trans at the MOM (**A/N The Department of Transportation at the Ministry of Magic for long**) gave the A-Okay for a Portkey, so go ahead n' make one and head on home. Listen, mate, one of these days you'll have to explain t' me how come you can perform a Portkey charm but you still can't Apparate. Cheers!"

Lily, who had overheard the last bit of the conversation, turned and stared at Ric, who winced.

"Long story, involving some pretty horrific splicing and a forever traumatized me. Come to think of it," mused Ric suddenly. "Maybe that's why I love brooms so much…"

Lily smiled tremulously, trying to stop herself from laughing out loud. "I guess that splicing was a good thing after all."

"For me, at least. I doubt the splicee would agree…"

"Splicee? I that a even word?"

"It is now."

"Oh ho! So I see the great Quidditch god has spoken!"

"Quidditch god? That's a new one."

They bantered good naturedly as they set off towards the Lodge; Ric insisted on escorting her back.

"What, you think Grindelwald is going to pop out from behind the Stones? Are you going to beat him off with your Nimbus 500?" Lily joked, while inside awe-struck at her own temerity. She wasn't acting like Lily Evans – she was acting like, like… Flora Hyacinthus.

Ric just smiled at her a bit sadly. "Maybe not Grindelwald. I was thinking maybe more on the lines of Death Eaters." Lily looked down, abashed, reflecting on the dark wizard that had appeared about 9 years ago, when Lily had still been at the orphanage.

He – the monster who's name people had been too afraid to say for several years now – had slowly been gaining power and followers, and while Lily didn't like to dwell on it, it was undeniable that fear was settling into the very bones of all witches and wizards, an icy hand that had started to grip hearts and refused to let go.

It was one of the reasons Lily was so passionate about her singing career; the emerging threat created a tension-fraught atmosphere, and Lily knew from experience that such stress was not a conducive environment for anyone – especially children – to live in.

She knew how music had helped her get through her anxiety and fears; now, she felt that Flor was giving that comfort to those who needed it.

"Yeah," Lily muttered. "Yeah, you're right."

"By the way," Ric said, jovial once more, as he hooked his arm through Lily's.

"Mmm?"

"It's a Nimbus 1000."

"Whatever. And, I'll let you know, I'm not totally helpless!"

"I'm sure. You're a perfect chimera, all 5 feet of you."

"Wh – I'm 5 foot 3 inches!"

"More like 5 foot 2, with one debatable inch."

"Aha! I happen to be an excellent debater."

"I'm 6 foot 5."

"…"

And the two of them, still liked arm in arm, walked back together to the Lodge compound.

**A/N: I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!!1 I really am trying my best, but I got a new computer, I have a job, and I'm prepping for college. It's been busy like mad around here!!! And with so many books coming out this season… (!) Forgive!!! I PROMISE SWEAR to write more pages, more quickly!!!!!!!! ;; Posting this at 1 in the morning…**


	13. A Flower's Reality

**A/N: Hey guys!!!!**

**I want to talk to you for a sec. All kinds of people have accused me of plagiarizing or stealing this plot from a show called "Hannah Montana".**

**I've never really watched that show, and I would hate that people think I sit around watching it to get my inspiration for this fic. **

**I came up with this plot a while back, but let me tell you, there's a ton of stories and books and movies with a plot line like this, only they paint, or they act, or they're royalty or something. I like the singer idea cause that meant for Lily to step out of herself and do something most people think Lily Evans wouldn't do. I like to put a new twist on old things. Just trying to make Hogwarts fun and different than it usually is.**

**The plot is a bit all over, but I am bringing it together right now, so I hope you guys stick with me. Btw, lyrics at the beginning of the fic are so corny, you KNOW they're mine. :) **

_Lets just sit and talk_

_Lets just take a walk_

_Lets just smile and chat_

_Lets just go way back_

_To when I was just me_

_And when you was just you_

_Lets just watch the Earth turn_

_Lets just let regrets burn_

_As we sit in the Garden of Eden_

_As we sit in the Garden_

_Of the Forgotten_

_Of the Forgiven_

_Let the sins that stain_

_Go down the drain_

_Lets laugh, lets cry_

_Lets say goodbye_

_To the ones to whom love_

_was not enough_

_Lets just watch the Earth turn_

_Lets just let regrets burn_

_As we sit in the Garden of Eden_

_As we sit in the Garden_

_Of the Forgotten_

_Of the Forgiven_

(Garden)

_Flora Hyacinthus_

_Album "In Bloom", Music Box Records_

_Chapter 13: A Flower's Reality_

Lily would look back to remember one of the most pleasant nights that she would experience for a long, long time. Ric Lyon had decided to stay for dinner, as he claimed he was none to eager to go back to his tiring entourage, and was looking forward to talking to people "whose intellect was not solely reliant on QuidditchCraze and International Snitch Magazine".

They took pictures with everyone in the lodge (Lily made sure to avoid the bright purple flashes: the last thing she needed was to have her face splashed in the Quibbler with Ric Lyon), started a mini food fight with the detestable fruit punch muffins, and came up with elaborate plans to tip over the boulders in Stonehenge.

Professor Lunesta sat with Gilbert Wimple the whole time, giggling and playing wandsie when they thought no one was looking, not realizing their wands emitted bright red and pink stars and sparks whenever they touched under the table that were clearly visible to everyone in the same room.

At the end of the night, Ric reluctantly turned a spoon into a portkey before slipping her his Owl number, blushing a bit. "Only if you want to," he muttered, before grabbing his spoon and rushing out of the room.

By the time Lily got outside, Ric was nothing but a distant twinkle in the sky, leaving only a light breeze that ruffled her hair slightly.

Professor Lunesta, who had followed Lily outside when Gilbert went to the bathroom, patted her shoulder.

"Don't get too attached," she said sympathetically. "These famous types never stick around. They promise and all, but a flighty lot, they are. Can't trust 'em with anything more than being famous."

Lily opened her mouth to argue, but right then, Gilbert called out, "Celene?" and the Professor was gone as well.

The redhead looked up at the sky and shivered, unable to shake off her teacher's words.

Two days later, Lily was back at Hogwarts. Prof Lunesta and she had spent the next day sleeping, waking up at 7 at night to explore around Stonehenge, draw a map of the monument, and copy down the runes the Teoria spells brought to light.

The next day, Lily took Lunesta to a Muggle village, where the little Stonehenge tourist souvenirs enchanted the teacher so much, she bought a whole bag of them, fully intending on multiplying them and giving them out to her students upon their return to Hogwarts.

The two of them grabbed a tattered shirt back to Hogwarts; the portkey set them down in the middle of the main courtyard.

Professor Lunesta set out to the Owlery, mumbling something about sending "one of these adorable snowing globies to Gilbert". Lily shook her head and set out for the Gryffindor Tower.

She was on the moving staircase between the third and fifth floor when Lily saw something peculiar: a chocolate skinned, tall Gryffindor girl who was walking on the fourth floor: Aisha.

Lily waved and called to her friend: "Aish! Ai-sha! Are you feeling better?"

Strangely enough, the girl kept walking, head down, fists balled at her side. Lily felt her wave falter.

Puzzled, she frowned. _Maybe she didn't hear me_, she thought. Though she was quite sure the two Hufflepuffs on the third floor did: they were still glaring at her for being so noisy.

Lily shrugged and decided not to worry herself. It probably wasn't Aisha anyways. Aisha was a graceful person: this girl was walking stiffly, as if scared or angry.

Finally, Lily got to the fat lady, to whom she whispered, "Agrestic". The portrait swung open.

The room was complete chaos. Girls were huddled all around the room, whispering excitedly to each other; boys were swearing to each other that they had seen Flor around the school, dancing, singing, and apparently, snogging Sirius Black.

Even the Quadruple Crazies were joining in: Peter was holding up a large poster of Flora, while the other three were bent over a slightly battered looking piece of parchment. As Lily passed them, she heard Peter mutter, "I don't see 'Flora Hyacinthus' anywhere on the map."

"Why don't you be a bit louder, Pete, I don't think Flor heard you," grumbled Black, his eyes still squinted in concentration.

Lily smiled to herself.

Lily headed upstairs to the girls dormitory. Her room was empty, except for Alice Carroll, who was standing next to the window, looking steadily out, apparently lost in thought.

"Hey!" cried Lily happily as she went to dump her bags on her bed. "Missed you this weekend. Merlin, is was so weird being all alone with Professor Lunesta. Plus, she completely chat up a M.O.M. employee at the Lodge! It was brill. And you will not believe who I met this weekend: Ric Lyon!"

But instead of squealing and screaming, like Alice usually did whenever her fave Quidditch star was mentioned, only sniffed and said to Lily, her back still turned to her friend. "Did you now? Not sure I believe that."

Lily took a step back, obviously hurt. "What? Wh- what does that mean?"

Alice just sneered. "Oh, drop the act, _Lily_. You're not the most honest person around, are you?"

"What the blooming hell are you talking about? I don't lie!"

Alice turned around, her face suddenly fierce, her blue eyes glittering like jewels. "Is that so, Lily? Or is that even you're real name? Did you think we were idiots?"

A horrible thrill ran up Lily's spine. She croaked, "My name is Lily Evans. You know that!"

"Wouldn't you rather be called… Flora Hyacinthus?"

Lily's stomach dropped to floor, her heart flew to her throat and her blood turned to ice. She could only gasp for air as her face became as white as the Bloody Baron.

Alice laughed cruelly. "Didn't think we would guess? Wouldn't see? As far as a disguise went, you really didn't go out of your way, did you? Same height, same hair, same eyes… Sloppy, sloppy, especially from miss perfect Prefect!"

Lily's gaze never wavered, eyes glazed in shock.

"God, it was so obvious! Mysterious disappearances, strange and expensive books and jewelry – " Lily remembered with horror the discreet earrings and bracelets she favored, simple but of quality. She'd never imagined someone would notice they were actually of very good quality…

" – and here Aisha and I thought you'd just found yourself a rich boyfriend! We were actually WORRIED about you! Poor little shy, easily manipulated, _defenseless_ orphan Lily," spat Alice. " Who has no one in the world. Right. What else did you lie about?"

Lily finally managed to swallow with difficulty. One of her worst nightmares had come true, and it turns out, the reality was worse than what she could have ever imagined. She had expected shock, hurt, even betrayal, but never this… anger, this scorn.

"Of course I haven't lied to you, what on earth –"

" – gave me that idea?" scoffed Alice, finishing Lily's thought. "Oh, I don't know, discovering your shy, bookworm friend _lied_ to you all these years and was actually a mega star! Wow, you must have been laughing all the way to the bank on that joke. The Marauders have NOTHING on you."

"Why are you so – so angry?" whispered Lily. "I never lied to you, I just – "

" – what , didn't tell you the truth? Because honey, that is a lie! A lie by omission! We bared our hearts to you, and you – Ugh!" Alice's angry masked cracked, letting out a twisted expression that took Lily a few moments to decipher: bitterness.

"What, weren't we good enough friends for you to tell us? Didn't you think we would notice? Would you have just gone all seven years here without a word about half of your life? God, Lily, maybe you should be an actress, too. Like I said, you are an exceptional liar!"

Lily Evans rarely got mad. She had fits of passion, of inspiration, of course, as an artist, whenever she wrote her lyrics or played her instruments, but, contrary to being a redhead, did not have an easy temper.

However, like most redhead, she did have an explosive one, impressive to watch when it was set off.

Lily felt her cheeks turn red, but not in shame. "All right then, explain to me exactly how you would break the truth to your best friends – "

"A best friend would be honest!"

"What, am I not allowed to keep some details of my life to myself? Sorry if I wasn't exactly interested in telling the world about my private life!"

"We're not the world, we were your friends! You really thought we were stupid, didn't you? Just cause Little Orphan Annie here takes all N.E.W.T. level classes –

"

"What?? How did N.EW.T.s end up in this conversation? I just didn't think it was that important, okay? And stop calling me that!"

"Didn't think it was that important? Are you fucking _kidding_ me?!"

Lily registered, even in shock, that Alice, good natured Alice, who hardly swore, was now hurling epithets at her. Lily grabbed onto one of her twin braids, like she usually did when she was upset or angry.

"How dare you? It's _my_ life! I don't need your permission or your validation! I don't need to tell you every detail of my life – it was none of your damned business! Besides, maybe I just wanted to keep that part of my life separate from this one! Maybe I didn't want the two to mix! Its not all fame and games, you know!"

"Oh, _poor_ little rich girl. As sorry as I am your champagne wishes and caviar dreams didn't turn out to be all that, I just don't give a damn. You said it yourself, it's none of my damned business. You know what, why don't you go back with your new friends, Flora? The ones who don't mind being lied to." Alice turned to sweep out before flinging a jeweled Muggle CD case at Lily's feet.

"You know," she smiled nastily, her blue eyes stormy. "I wonder why you even bother showing up to class, you're _soo_ famous now. You could just go on tour and never come back. After all… its not like anybody would actually miss Lily Evans around here." And with that steel barb hitting home, Alice left the dormitory room.

It was a long time before Lily stopped trembling long enough to look down at the CD.

It was Flora's sophomore album, _In Bloom_, which had set her apart from all the other tween witch singers out there and put her on the musical map. There she was, a fifteen year old Flora, sitting in what appeared to be an empty, run down music studio, sitting on a broken and dusty piano stool.

All around her, flowers as vibrant as a rainbow were growing and blooming out of every crack in the floor, twining up the stool, the decrepit piano, and even around one of Flora's slim ankles. The singer's ivory summer dress offset the gloomy studio and the colorful flowers perfectly. A sliver of light fell on her, illuminating her red, red hair and emerald eyes.

Flora was sitting, back curved out, leaning back as if looking at the sky, her elbows resting on the piano behind her. Her bright red hair was full of half open lilies, her flawless face looking up, peaceful and yet, with jade eyes so intense, they seemed to gaze straight through the ceiling and out towards the heavens.

In her left hand, she clutched a violin bow, which was sprouting little leaves. Lily remembered dully that Aisha played the violin.

Flora's perfect face was marred by drips of water, falling steadily from above, until the CD case was covered in plummeting droplets of what appeared to be rain.

Lily stayed only long enough to gather her toiletry before fleeing back to her private apartments. She stayed there, in her big bed, crying herself to sleep, unable, for the first time, to find comfort either in Lily's world or Flora's domain.

It was all too soon the next Monday. She barely made in time for Transfiguration, a first, and sat in the back, next to the utterly forgettable Bertha Jorkins, an unimaginative and plain seventh year, as well as a gossip monger. Lily made sure to sit as far away as possible from her. She kept her head down all class.

Aisha and Alice were sitting together at the front of the room, huddled together, apparently converging. Lily had been nervous last night that her friends – former friends, by the looks of it – would tell the world of Flora's identity, but so far, no one had mobbed Lily, so she assumed she was safe… for now.

And so went the rest of classes, Lily, almost gasping with nerves, waiting for the other shoe to drop, for someone else to realize what Alice and Aisha had already seen, for her carefully construed world to end…

But would it, really? Lily had stopped looking at the board; she was lost in her own thoughts. Would it be so bad to be Flora? She could be Lily Flor, instead of split in two… No one would play pranks on her… Disregard her… Call her a Mudblood… Ignore her…

"_Oh my Merlin! It's the Hobgolbins!"_

"_Ahhhh!!! Look! Over there!"_

_Stubby Boardman closed his dressing room door wearily._

"_Ohh… He moaned. "Can't go ANYWHERE without invisibility cloaks, Polyjuice Potion, security trolls… Its impossible."_

_A fourteen year old, shiny-eyed Flora Hyacinthus gazed at her idol, her porcelain cheeks flushed._

"_B-but," she intoned. "I've read you wanted to be in a band as long as you could remember! To be famous! A rock star! Join a band with-with goblins and all!"_

"_Yeah," muttered Stubby. "I did. And after a while, its fun, you know? Rub your fame in your enemies' face, snub the people who once snubbed __**you**__, pretty witches – and a couple of hags, as well – throwing themselves at your feet. Its fun – everyone loves you, you party, give the people what they want._

"_But it gets old. After playing 13 sets in Hogsmeade, you just wanna sleep, you know? But there's always work, places to go, fans who want all of you. They don't care if you're eating, talking to someone, hell, even pissing, they come up to you, and start hurling hexes if you don't stop and pose for a hundred pics._

"_You're lucky," murmured Boardman as he took a swing of an amber liquid. _

"_M-me?"_

"_You… People love you, right? Little tweens and their moms. But at the end of the day… You can slip away. Take off your costume and skip off to class."_

_Stubby downed his glass. "Never compromise that, kid. Doesn't matter if people treat you like crap when you're not famous, doesn't matter that you've been BFFs forever now, never compromise your retreat. Trust me," he sighed, refilling his glass. "You'll live to regret it."_

Before she knew it, Lily was off to Charms, having not even seen Transfiguration go by. She sitting next to some unnamed Ravenclaw girl who was so into her magazine, she didn't look up or even twitched when Lily sat down next to her.

Why? Really, Alice was right. Why hadn't she told her friends the truth? It was so simple, really, like sharing a wild secret. They would have gasped, laughed, insisted on getting backstage passes, and would have treated the affair with lightheartedness and girlish excitement.

But nothing would have really changed… In reality, they would've been stronger for it… Would have had a common secret… Like an adventure… They wouldn't have treated Lily differently… Would they?

"_Hey Lily!"_

"_Hey Tuney!" Though Petunia lived with her grandparents and was two years older than her little sister, they attended the same elementary school that adjoined the orphanage in which Lily lived. The two were practically inseparable._

"_Soon," gushed Petunia. "Grandpa will get his retirement fund and they'll be able to afford a new, bigger house, then you'll come live with us! We could share a room!"_

_Lily giggled. "Nu-uh. I'm getting my own room. I'm not sharing anymore!"_

_Petunia laughed too. "Right. I'd get sick of sharing a room if I had to live with so many other girls too!"_

_When the elderly Evans had been confronted with the death of their only son and his wife, they had also been faced with a terrible dilemma._

_Though their house and lifestyle was comfortable for an aged couple, taking in one child would have seriously strained their finances, let alone two. _

_So they had made a difficult choice – Mr. Evans went back to work, Petunia was taken in their tiny house, and Lily, the youngest, was given into the care of the local orphanage._

_The decision to pick Petunia to come live with them was obvious – not only was she older, but a much easier girl to live with. Lily had always been a difficult child, prone to melancholies and vapidness – she was such an abstracted child, her parents, before their untimely car crash, had had her checked for autism by a number of specialists, as best they could._

_In the end, it was concluded that Lily was simply an unusual child afflicted with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and that she should simply take medication to avoid being distracted in class._

_In truth, it was not ADD that plagued Lily but simply her burgeoning magic straining to free itself from her tiny body. Unused magic manifested itself in a number of different ways: some children whose emotions ran high would inadvertently perform rudimentary spells, such as making things vanish, making hated teachers' wigs turn blue, or causing their hair to grow back after a particularly horrendous haircut._

_Other children, such as Lily, were affected more internally – Lily recalled seeing images in reflecting surfaces such as water, glass, or mirrors. She could make herself as light as a feather, letting her gently flow down to the ground after jumping off a swing. She also could hear music – all kinds of music._

_Popular Muggle music; strange songs that made no sense, about cauldrons and "kwiditch", whatever that was; classical music; foreign music. Lily used to lay back on the grass and simply let her mind wander, tuning in and out of different melodies…_

_Petunia shook her sister's shoulder, frowning, an odd look in her eyes._

"_You're doing the weird thing again."_

_Lily smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."_

_Petunia shrugged, looking down. "There's no music. You can't hear anything. _I_ don't, no matter how hard _I_ try – "_

_The blond girl suddenly stopped, as if she had said too much._

_Lily smiled at her sister. "You're right. There's no music."_

_Mollified, Petunia grabbed Lily's hand. "Yeah. When you come with us, there'll be no more weird stuff. We'll be together forever."_

_Lily smiled. "Together forever," she echoed._

Lily dimly realized that lunch had gone by in a blink – she had not been to the Great Hall. Lily feared that should Alice and Aisha shun her publicly, she might very well go to pieces.

Now she was in DADA, being scorched by Professor Burns, but not hearing her grating voice. Instead she heard Alice…

"_Look at that," said a 4__th__ year Alice, munching on her cereals. "This teeny little girl just went and cleaned up the music charts last week – both of them, Muggle and Magic."_

_Aisha's eyes widened. "Wow. I couldn't imagine doing that. I think I would cry, I'd be so nervous to sing."_

"_And the concerts!" Added Alice. "What if you forget your lines? God, I would just die!!!"_

"_I – I don't know," stammered Lily. "It might be easier than it looks. I mean, we could probably do it."_

_Alice and Aisha looked at her blankly, before bursting out laughing._

"_Yeah, right!" gasped Alice. "As if, you, a girl shier than a mooncalf, could seriously do that!"_

_Aisha's lips twitched. "Oh, I'm sorry, Lily," she giggled. "But knowing you, you'd probably expire on the spot if you were in that girl's shoes."_

_Lily remembered, to this day, how close. How close she had been to opening her lips, to saying, "I didn't expire when I was at the London Wembley Arena – neither did I forget my lines. And I promise you, I did _not_ cry."_

_But something stopped her. Not Stubby's warnings, not the memory of Petunia's cruel rejection when Lily shared her deepest secret with her - her magic, not fear for her private life: after all, Aisha and Alice were her best friends, who would support her and share her joy at her new fame. Oh, no. It was not for these reasons that Lily swallowed her words._

_Her reasons were much more insidious than that._

_Lily held her tongue because she was enjoying her secret identity. This hidden satisfaction, this covert confidence that glowed and purred in her heart where no one could see, this private joke she had with herself was simply too good to share._

_It was brilliant, wasn't it? Shy, gauche, socially awkward unpopular bookworm extraordinaire who never set her nose outside her door, who had no idea what it felt like to be admired, worshipped, adored, who stayed home like a good little girl, who never broke the rules or stood out, was actually a world wide icon for grace, beauty, spunk, talent and heart._

_Nerdy Lily was actually someone for whom perfect strangers would scream and cry for, for whom other stars would applaud, for whom people would scramble to make her happy – her, Lily, Flora, whoever it was she had become. At that moment, she didn't care._

_This irony was too good to impart. When Aisha and Alice laughed good-naturedly at clumsy Lily, they had no idea they laughed at a girl who was hailed as being one 'of the most flowing and graceful performer to grace the music stage'._

_When Professor Burns berated the 6__th__ year for being recalcitrant and quiet to a fault, she had no clue she was telling a famous singer whose voice had filled rooms, clubs, arenas, stadiums, and concert halls that she had 'no volume'._

_When the Slytherins girls jeered at her for having a 12 year old boy's figure, they didn't know that that very same evening, they would be trying to emulate HER in front of the mirror for two hours. They didn't know that SHE was the one who's style dictated theirs._

_Lily, like a little wallflower half withered lily, was basking privately in the warmth of her newfound fame._

_Her newfound power._

_And to this day, Lily felt the same deep, burning pit of shame for being too weak to forsake it by revealing to someone her secret._

**A/N: Ooooooh!! Angst angst angst!!!! I just wanted to explore Lily's character a bit, stop having her be such a Mary-Sue. We all have our issues, and we're all ashamed of stuff we've done – or not done.**

**Hope you liked, ya'll. Will try to update soon – I am in college. And DANG the amount of reading they assign!!! Jeez!!!!!!!**

**So, whad' ya think?**

**Tell me – be nice and review, please. Do you know, I've had over 20,500 hits on this story? And only 222 reviews. I mean, you do the math. Even if it's just a word, at least it'll be something, you know? And it doesn't take that long. Please – and thanks to those who do give me feedback. All you authors out there, you know how it is!!!**

**Thanx**!


	14. A Flower's Correspondence

**A/N: Thanks so much for your lovely reviews!!! Please, if you have any questions about the story, ideas, concerns, and want me to respond to your post, just tell me and I will e-mail/pm you ASAP. Your feedback is important to me; how else am I to know if my writing is improving:)**

_Hot Summer's over_

_Like a sweet dying note in the air_

_Its just not there_

_Summer's dying_

_The bright blooms are withering_

_The rich green leaves are all falling_

_So your hand lets go of mine_

_This June romance has been divine_

_But the changing times call to reason_

_And now you go back to treason_

_Go on, go back to her,_

_Your delicate waiting lover_

_How could I be such a fool?_

_You've used me now, I was your tool_

_So summer's over_

_And I find out that you've betrayed me_

_But when it's over_

_I was blind now I can see_

_This pain in time I know will dim_

_I leave you now to go back to him_

'_This Too Shall Pass (Fall)'_

_Flora Hyacinthus_

_Album "In Bloom", Music Box Records_

_Chapter 14: A Flower's Correspondence_

It was… so obvious. Just look at the two of them. Peas in a pod. That girl was either very stupid, or very brilliant. And obviously, she was not the former. Who would believe that silly chit, that little nobody, could be… Flor?

It wasn't a cliché. That starlet really did have something – a vibrancy, a life. Even if she looked like a porcelain toy, she just emanated… warmth.

Not like that painted doll, Evans, whose blank moss eyes were devoid of anything remotely interesting. Whose pallor made her look like a ghost, whose carrot hair made her look orange, whose thinness made her look like a corpse.

It was hard to decide which of the two was more hated.

A smile curved up. Soon, that wouldn't be an issue anymore.

_meowmeowmeowmeowmeowmeowmeowWOOFmeowmeowmeowmeowmeowmeowmeow_

_Dear Flora – _

_Ha! Had me fooled! Mock bows. My dear Flor, from your last letter, I would have never guessed you would have even been inside the castle, let alone be a student here at Hogwarts! How utterly amazing. That means that we've met before! And if my name were Sirius Black, that means we've snogged before!_

_I jest, I jest. Sirius has not snogged with every girl at Hogwarts – we all agree that there is little fun in snogging tiny first years – ouch, Sirius! What? It's true! Well, I'm sorry M- I mean, Remus, if I did fry your brain with that last mental image – I was just trying to illustrate a point – oh, I'm not going to bother with you tarts anymore. Yes, Peter! Tarts!_

_Oh. Sorry. I'm using one of those new dictator quills or whatnot – banned in the classroom, and we've just recopied a whole wing of the Library in notes today in Potions, my hands fell off – but you might already know that. Oh, my head is spinning! Anyways, the quill. Records everything you say, even if you're not dictating to the lett – would you lot stuff it? I'm trying to concentrate over here!!!_

_ANYWAYS: I am amazed. Here you are, hiding out, behind enemy lines!!! It must be terribly exciting for you – what a wonderful secret. I, myself, know the delectable pleasure of pretending to be unknown, when in reality, I and mine have much more to hide than people would ever guess! Er… Well, let's keep that little tidbit to each other for now._

_I am aware, however, how hard this situation might be on your nerves – so don't forget to eat breakfast and practice goya in the morning – what? It's not goya? What is it them, gayo? Yoga? Are you sure, Remus? I dunno, it just sounds wrong… My friend Remus says its actually called 'yoga', but it's supposed to be relaxing, apparently. I think it's from Japan. Mm, Japan… Ramen… That stuff is good…_

_Oh, look at the time! Must toodle of to Minnie's class – maybe I'll see you there!_

_Miss Flora, the Marauders would be proud. Here's to you – and your Hogwartian alter ego!_

_Stag kisses (inside joke)_

_James Potter_

Lily, sitting in her solitary chair on Friday in the Great Hall, felt her eyes swim, her throat sting and her chest tightened. A week ago, she would have crowed at the fact that the great James Potter was singing HER praises, the biggest geek in Gryffindor.

Now, nothing seemed to matter anymore.

Alice threw her vicious glares at every given opportunity.

Aisha could not even look at her. They had not talked to her in a week.

"Alright, Flor," said Miss Collins. "I know you're a sweet girl and all, but this time, you've got to pull your inner wrath and just – let that dog have it!" Her brown bob of air quivered as she fought an invisible man. "Just think of something angry!"

Miss Collins frowned as her star barely lifted her eyes from her notebook. For the last two weekends her client had been despondent and in a deep melancholy that seemed to go much deeper than just usual teenage angst.

With a toss of her head, the manager waved away the coming makeup artist. The discreet woman merely blinked and went back to her station, now familiar with the fragile temperament of the rich and famous.

Miss Collins simply stared at her, until Flor bit her lower lip. "This was a bad idea," she whispered harshly.

The brunette frowned. "What was?"

Flor leapt up, full of fire, the words erupting from her like blood gushing from a wound. "This! All of this! _Fame_ – and – and double identities and _secrets_ and _lies_ and Flor – Flor this, Flor that, Flora Hyacinthus – god, what a name…"

As if a puppet whose strings had been cut, the girl sank back in her chair before burying her face in her hands. The makeup artist winced and hoped the girl wouldn't cry – her eye shadow would be done for if she did.

Miss Collins did not offer any commentary to the outburst.

"They hate me." Flor was back to her weary murmuring.

"Who hates you?"

The hapless makeup girl's worst fears had come true – a solitary tear rolled off Flor's flawless cheek.

"Aisha and – and Alice. Aisha won't talk to me or look at me and-and Alice, she says such mean things…"

Andrea Collins merely nodded, her eyes urging Flor to let it all out.

"She said – I – I wouldn't be missed if I never went back to Hogwarts, and that – that I was a horrible person and that I was a bad friend for not telling them… If – if I'd never done anything, then we'd still – I'd be free – I'd be – "

"Be what?" interjected Miss Collins coldly, suddenly angry. Angry at the world for being so harsh on people, especially teenage girls, for being a world full of hate and fear. Angry at fickle friends who would lash out on the innocent in their jealousy and bitterness. Angry at Lily for resenting Flor. Angry at Flor for stifling Lily, for sucking out all of the tiny girl's magnetism, for leaving Lily Evans with nothing at all. Angry with Lily and Flor for being so inconsistent and – and _weak_.

"Who would you be? Lily Evans, that redhead in Gryffindor who lurks around at the library? You mean, just another face in the crowd, hanging back as far less deserving people take the spotlight? No one, you mean."

Flor looked back at her, hurt flashing across her face. Andrea steeled herself – these next words would not be easy, but they certainly were necessary.

"Because that's what you are now. Who's Lily Evans? What's special about her? Even other bookworms and shy people do wonderful things – but you, you liked it. Lily _wanted_ to be the victim."

Flor's cheeks tinted with red – from shame or rage, Andrea couldn't tell. But she didn't stop there.

"It made you feel good, to be no one when people were watching, to be good, clever but not outstanding, shy, recalcitrant and overlooked. So when Flor comes out, she's **alive**, she's **there**, and no one can deny her. You got off of it – don't lie to me," said the brunette quietly, when Flor opened her mouth. "We've been together for too long." Slowly, Flor fell still once more.

"So now, don't be surprised when your friends who thought you were sad and safe and pathetic and dependent on them turns out to be strong and beautiful, all on her own. Do you know usually why girls like your vivacious Alice and Aisha take girls like Lily under their wing? It makes them feel better about themselves."

Flor flew to her feet. "That's a lie!"

"Its not!" retorted Andrea. "You were their project, their pity friend, the designated foil, designed to make them shine. They didn't care."

"Stop it! You don't know them!"

"Then why would they be so mad? Do they own you? Do you owe them? No, they're mad because you're suddenly prettier, better, more alive than they are. And that's scary. If I was wrong… why would they shun you?"

Flor closed her eyes painfully.

"They don't deserve Flor… and neither do you."

Flor – no, Lily – took a step back. "What?"

Andrea stalked closer. "You are a star. A singer, an icon, an idol, whatever the hell you want to say. But you have people out there who depend on you – look around! Your music and videos and patronage puts food on their table.

"And the fans, Lily, the fans. We're heading for rough waters, you know that? With this – this dark lord rising. Its only going to get worse before it gets better. And these girls, these boys, these people, they depend on you.

"No, the fans don't own you. You work hard for their love, but love you they do – as fickle as this love can be, it's also unconditional. Just for your music, for your voice, for what you bring them, they love you. This love, as twisted and warped it is, it's raw and it's real. You're the one they listen to when they need comfort or hope when they have none. You're their refuge, and they deserve better than your faltering at the first sign of trouble!

"I'm sorry about your girls, I really am. But who need fair weather friends? If they won't support you when you need it the most, then don't you bother. Now, hold your head up high. You've nothing to be ashamed of. It was your secret to keep, understand? Your secret to share or not. You've worked long and hard to get here, so don't let anyone stand in your way. You owe yourself more. You owe that wilting thing Lily more of a life than this, and you owe Flor more loyalty. You got it?"

Lily took a step forward. For a wild moment, Andrea thought the girl would curse her, or hit her. But after a moment's hesitation, she rushed into her arms and burst into hot, bitter tears.

Andrea closed her eyes and her arms. "Its okay," she murmured. "It's going to be alright. You'll be fine, baby. You'll get through this."

IsayhelloyousaygoodbyehellogoodbyehellogoodbyeIdon'tknowwhyyousaygoodbye

_Dear Ric,_

_It's Lily Evans, from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We met last week, at the Lodge? Stonehenge was so much fun – and that, of course, was all thanks to you. You're definitively not what I expected (and I do mean that in a good way)._

_So how are you? I see you beat the Holiday Harpies last night – congratulations! I hope that your black eye has faded – after all, it wasn't your fault the Snitch flew down Beatrice Grendel's Quiddith robes. Next time that happens, though, try to duck her bat. Beaters aren't known for their gentleness._

_Hogwarts right now is all-abuzz, because of the Christmas Break soon, though I think that some people might stay behind at the castle. Apparently, a famous star is a student here, though it's really not a surprise – a great majority of British witches and wizards went to Hogwarts. Did you?_

_I hope to hear from you soon, if you're not to busy with Quidditch practice. All the best of luck – try to avoid Beaters and lightning new time, all right?_

_Lots of love,_

_Lily_

Stuck next to her signature was a delicate pressed periwinkle.

IsayhelloyousaygoodbyehellogoodbyehellogoodbyeIdon'tknowwhyyousaygoodbye

"I don't want to do Since U Been Gone today," murmured Lily from Andrea's lap in the break room. Lily had just been laying there, taking comfort from the one person who knew all of her and accepted her just as she was.

"Why, honey?" said Andrea, stroking Lily's hair.

"Because its not honest. They hurt me, Ms Collins, they really, really, did. And to say I can breathe when I really can't… That's lying to everyone, including me. I want to do Behind These Emerald Eyes."

"Alright, then," said Andrea with a tiny smile at her charge's new honesty.

_Seems like just yesterday_

_You were a part of me_

_I used to stand so tall_

_I used to be so strong_

_Your arms around me tight_

_Everything, it felt so right_

_Unbreakable, like nothin' could go wrong_

_Now I can't breathe_

_No, I can't sleep_

_I'm barely hanging on_

This particular shoot was unlike Flor's usual style, when the lead actor of the video was usually someone else, with intermitting scenes of Flor singing to the actor or actress; in "Irvine", for example, Flor had been singing to a depressed girl who had lost her boyfriend in a car crash when they had been driving home from a party.

But this time, Flor did not try to imply that what she was singing about did not concern her; the song hit too close to home.

_Here I am, once again_

_I'm torn into pieces_

_Can't deny it, can't pretend_

_Just thought you were the one_

_Broken up, deep inside_

_But you won't get to see the tears I cry_

_Behind these emerald eyes_

The Muggle video that went with the music was set in a private school, with pleated skirts as uniforms and crisp white shirts, similar to Hogwarts' under the billowy black robes.

Flor was a bookish looking beauty that had caught her best friend making out with her boyfriend in an empty classroom.

_I told you everything_

_Opened up and let you in_

_You made me feel alright_

_For once in my life_

_Now all that's left of me_

_Is what I pretend to be_

_So together, but so broken up inside_

_'Cause I can't breathe_

_No, I can't sleep_

_I'm barely hangin' on_

At one point of the storyline, Flor, this time in all her resplendecent beauty, dressed in a pure white ball gown, was sitting next to her former friend, on her bed, where the two of them had spent so much time, laughing and playing. Flor, eyes cold, breathed the stanzas inside her friends ears, reminding her of what she had just ruined.

_Here I am, once again_

_I'm torn into pieces_

_Can't deny it, can't pretend_

_Just thought you were the one_

_Broken up, deep inside_

_But you won't get to see the tears I cry_

_Behind these emerald eyes_

In the next shot, Flor was at school, this time her ball gown a raven black, sitting on a desk next to her exes, screaming the words in his ears as well. His tortured expression matched Flor's best friend's.

_Swallow me then spit me out_

_For hating you, I blame myself_

_Seeing you it kills me now_

_No, I don't cry on the outside_

_Anymore..._

_Anymore…_

_Here I am, once again_

_I'm torn into pieces_

_Can't deny it, can't pretend_

_Just thought you were the one_

_Broken up, deep inside_

_But you won't get to see the tears I cry_

_Behind these emerald eyes_

_Here I am, once again_

_I'm torn into pieces_

_Can't deny it, can't pretend_

_Just thought you were the one_

_Broken up, deep inside_

_But you won't get to see the tears I cry_

_Behind these emerald eyes_

In the end, the Flor from the video calmly took the promise ring her ex had given her, her best friend's friendship bracelet, and melted them in her fireplace before throwing the ruined mess at their feet the next day in class, before brushing past them – as if they didn't exist.

After the shoot, Lily went back to her suite, worn out. She curled up on the futon, and let the tears come.

It had been true, to some extent, everything Ms Collins had said. She was just as much responsible for this damn mess as Aisha and Alice were. She was now reaping what she had sown.

IsayhelloyousaygoodbyehellogoodbyehellogoodbyeIdon'tknowwhyyousaygoodbye

Lily wiped her nose and sat up, looking around blearily. She had fallen asleep.

Still drowsy, the tiny girl lurched to her feet and patted her face. Her glamour had faded, and she was sorely in need of her glasses, as well as a large glass of water.

Lily stumbled to the vanity, feeling the surface gingerly. It seemed to be covered in parchments and letters, threatening the to tumble to the floor. She found her glasses on top of a teetering tower of paper; curious, Lily lifted her glasses to her face, and flipped the light switch on.

And wished she hadn't.

They were papers all right; more specifically, letters. Fan mail to Flor. Only this time… they didn't seem to be exactly fans.

Some of the letters were from her non-magic audience, letter cutouts from magazines spelling out Flor's doom; others were vicious letters from parishioners, accusing Flor of corrupting their children with lust and the sinful music 'of the devil'. Some letters seemed to be obsessive, describing perverse fantasies that didn't seem to end well for Flor. Lily winced. Some were even accompanied with pictures and drawings.

But as horrifying as these were, they were nothing compared to the mail she had gotten from the Wizarding world.

These letters had been sent with things much worse than simple bloody art and bad language; some of those letters had been cursed.

They blamed Flor of

Some of those letters were from fearful parents who only wished for their children to stay away from Muggles, as the rising faction of the one they called "He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named" did not seem to be very fond of Muggle culture.

Others… were from people whose ideology didn't differ much from You-Know-Who's; they charged her with corrupting their youth with inferior Muggle culture and music, for encouraging young witches and wizards to mingle and ape Muggle traditions and cultures. Their hate was without bounds, spewing their diatribes on paper of how Flor herself was better off dead, that a mudblood like her should be exterminated so she would not corrupt Hogwarts' youth…

Some seemed to be from Hogwarts students themselves – full of toxic promises that they would be the one to find her first, and then…

Lily's lips trembled. She hurriedly dropped the stack – she had no wish to know which one of her classmates harbored such sick, twisted fantasies about her alter ego. It would make going to school… harder than it already was.

Suddenly woozy, Lily put her hand down to stabilize herself – right on a jet-black envelope. Almost immediately, Lily recognized her mistake, but by then it was already too late. There was a bright flash of purple, and Lily knew no more.

_Are you there?_

_Are you watching me?_

_As I lie here on this floor_

Brianne laid there lost in the aching melody, feeling as if Flor was lying next to her, singing softly in her ears instead of earphones. Absently Brianne realized she could hear the television downstairs through the music, and turned it up louder.

_They say you feel what I do_

_They say you're here every moment_

_Will you stay? _

_Stay 'till the darkness leaves_

_Stay here with me_

_I know you're busy, I know I'm just one_

_But you might be the only one who sees me_

_The only one to save me_

It seemed practically inconsequential to go on. She remembered the first time she had seen the video for that song – Brianne had felt as if someone had copied and paste her life into it. Popular in school, good grades, happy family, loving boyfriend… until the accident.

_Why is it so hard?_

_Why can't you just take me?_

_I don't have much to go _

_Before I fade completely_

How dumb had it been? How many times had people drilled it into their heads: "Don't drink and drive don't get in a car with a drunk person don't don't don't…." One night, the first night ever after a party. They told themselves home was close, they wouldn't get busted, it'd be okay. But it hadn't been okay. It would never be okay.

_Can you feel how cold I am?_

_Do you cry as I do?_

_Are you lonely up there all by yourself?_

_Like I have felt all my life_

_The only one to save mine_

Brianne had lived with semi-serious injury. She had walked out of the hospital after three days. Brian would never walk out of anywhere again. She was here in her house, he was in a box. Brianne looked around her room. Her room was a box too.

_How are you so strong?_

_What's it like to feel so free?_

_Your heart is really something _

_Your love, a complete mystery to me_

She'd thought about it for a long, long time. There was nothing left for her to do. She's tried everything, but her despair continued to well up, to drag her down further into the dark abyss that was her mind. She was terrified of going any further – and it was time to stop. To make it all stop. To stop pretending she was fine, that she was healed, that she was over Brian and his death, that she was okay. She wasn't okay. She would never be okay.

_Are you there watching me?_

_As I lie here on this floor_

_Do you cry, do you cry with me?_

_Cry with me tonight _

The light glinted and danced over the shiny, genuflecting surface, throwing back light and muddled shapes. Soon, it wouldn't be so shiny. Brianne took in one more breath, and pressed it against her milky skin one more time. One last time.

_Are you there? _

_Are you watching me?_

**A/N: Suicide reference! Brianne is an OC (other character) and is a muggle, yes. She will, or more like her actions, will become significant in the next chapter.**

**That said, as you will see next chapter, ****I DO NOT CONDONE SUICIDE. IF YOU ARE THINKING OF HURTING YOURSELF, DON'T!! THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO DEAL WITH YOUR PROBLEMS!!!**

**Talk to someone! Talk to a teacher, a friend, ****hell, talk TO ME****. If you're feeling depressed and you want to talk to someone who's been there, PM me! I will listen! Hurting yourself is just not the answer. Every time you do, you're hurting the people around you too. Everyone would not be better off if you off yourself, okay?**

**I've been depressed. I've had friends who've been depressed, and who have hurt themselves. Please please please listen when I say, it really isn't the answer. Sorry to preach, but I swear, people, I really feel strongly about this. Take care of yourself! We love you! We don't want to see you sad or hurting!**

**Go to **** h t t p / w w w . a n g e l f i r e . c o m / o n 3 / t e e n s u i c i d e h e l p / to find some links with information (sorry about the spacing, FF was being bratty about the link; its the same, only without spaces) . Find the crisis hotline in your area. And like I said, pm me if you really need to talk. I'm always here.**

**On a higher, note, "Irvine" and "Behind These Hazel Eyes" (tweaked to say 'emerald' instead of 'hazel', but the rest is untouched) are both by the wonderful, magical Kelly Clarkson!!! Love her!!! And of course, HP is not mine – but if JK wanted to give it to me, you wouldn't hear me complain! And the reference to "Since U Been Gone" belongs to Kelly Clarkson as well. Lyrics at the beginning of the chapter are mine, please, no snagging. :)**

**And please don't forget to review and help me improve this story; it's only fair. You guys get a good story (hopefully, won't know until you review me!!!!), and I get your reviews! Equal exchange:)**


	15. A Flower's Dream

_**Chapter 15: A Flower's Dream**_

_Dreams bloom and dreams fade_

_My eyes lull shut, my brain caves_

'Sleep', Bonus Track

Flora Hyacinthus

It was the same dream she had had a million times – she was drowning, sinking, falling in a lake, a sea, an ocean of petals. They kept falling from the sky, and no matter how much she tried to swim or escape the galaxy of dead flowers, it was all in vain, and soon the colorful mountains reached high over her head. Before long the only thing that was visible was her hand, outstretched, begging for help that would never come…

She couldn't wake up. Normally, she always woke up right there, as her hand faded from her sight as she struggled and gasped against the petals. But they kept coming, stunning her with their smell – she opened her mouth to scream –

And fell through with a tiny pop. As Lily fell, she could see the writhing mass of petals fade quickly from her vision as she fell deeper and deeper into the darkness, idly musing that she would have to tell Alice that she too, had fallen down the rabbit hole…

And landed on the ground with a thud and a squelch. Lily remembered that Alice wasn't talking to her, that Alice didn't care, and neither did Aisha…

Hot fat tears sprung to her eyes and refused to be stopped, no matter what Lily did. She cried and cried and cried, until the darkness turned instead into a puddle, a lake, a sea, an ocean that swept Lily up, even as she was still crying. But Lily couldn't swim, and she sank, sank, sank, deeper and deeper into the water that had turned ice cold, as black as the lake in which the Giant Squid resided – and Lily closed her eyes for the last time, giving up…

But even as she did, noises suddenly filled her ears – the strum of a band warming up, the pulse of the energetic stage crew setting up a stage, and the roar of the crowd, their vigor and eagerness washing over her like a balm… _Flor Flor Flor_…

Lily sighed and relaxed. This she could do. This is where she felt at home, on top of the world, alive, well… Flor opened her eyes…

And realized that she wasn't Flor at all, but mousy Evans, a limp Hogwarts uniform hanging off her thin frame hap-hazardly, carrot hair done in a braid, thick glasses perched on her freckled nose…

The crowd turned from excited happiness to dangerous frustration. Flor? Where's Flor? We want Flor! Who's this bint? What the bloody hell is going on?

And they began to boo and jeer, throwing cans of soda and food at Lily, who stood there, glazed in shock. She turned, mortified and confused to her crew, but they only glared hostilely back at her. Miss Collins pursed her lips. "You should have known better. Lily Evans – a _nobody_…"

James Potter, who apparently had come to see Flor live backstage, sneered aristocratically at the sight of the plain Evans. "A mudblood like you, Flora Hyacinthus? If I'd known, I would have gotten rid of you a long time ago." Slowly he raised his wand. Lily tried to back away, but it was too late – there was a bright flash of green light –

And Lily was back at the orphanage, surrounded by jeering children, pushed and bullied and teased. Cry! Cry! They screamed. You know you want to! Lets see it! Go on! Go on!

Lily couldn't take it anymore. She threw herself at a gap in the crowd, pushing past angry squirming bodies, but they seemed endless, until Lily thought she would suffocate, mashed by clothes and people –

Finally Lily broke free and stumbled in the Great Hall. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned towards Aisha and Alice –

Their faces were frozen in shocked disgust. Aisha averted her eyes; Alice's narrowed in malice. Suddenly, Lily realized that it was not only Alice's eyes that rested on her. The whole Great Hall, the whole of Hogwarts was watching her.

Severus Snape's eyes, from the Slytherin table, were wide open in shock instead of being focused on a book. Buttercup Tomlinson dropped her purse, letting its contents spill across the marble floor and roll away as she kept her cornflower eyes fixed upon Lily. Her glossy lips were parted in surprise. Lily rather thought she looked like a fish just then.

Lily looked down. Was she naked?

It would have been better if she had. She was in full Flor garb, in all its garish glory. Her hair was long and blood red, her skin was milk white, her eyes were brilliant evergreen, her outfit colorful and eye-catching. Lily braced herself. Would they rush at her? Ask her for a performance?

As Lily got ready to protect herself from what she expected would be an onslaught of crazed fans, she never expected to hear the one sound that made any performer who wasn't a stand up comic's blood curl: laughter.

Cruel, cold laughter. Lily looked around wildly for support – the Gryffindor table was laughing so hard, some people had fallen off the bench, sitting on the marble floor, holding their sides.

Ric Lyon was there, curiously enough, sitting not too far from the Marauders; Sirius was crying, he was laughing so hard – Remus, wearing a smug grin, turned to the portly Peter, whose face had turned red from his spluttering.

"I should have known," chuckled Remus to Peter and Ric. Ric nudged him back, his face a mixture of amusement and condescension. "What a joke!" he said.

Lily whirled, but the whole room was pointing, in hysterics – the sweet-natured Hufflepuffs, the serious Ravenclaws, the dissafected Slytherins, the exemplary teachers, even Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling maliciously –

Lily grabbed her skirts and started running for the door before she started crying in shame and mortification. To her horror, the double doors were barred by none other than James Potter, who purred, "There you are. Come now, this has gone long enough…" Once more, he raised his wand – Lily fell back, frantically pawing her bodice and voluminous skirts for a wand, but she didn't have one – there was a flash of green light, high, cold, cruel laughter –

And then nothingness.

_Li_

What was the point?

_Lil_

Who would care? The fans would move on, her friends would be relieved, her sister glad

_Lily_

_Lily_

_**Flor**_

_Lily_

_**Flor**_

Was there a difference anymore?

Could she even tell herself apart anymore?

_**Lily**_

"Lily?"

Slowly, ever so slowly, Lily cracked her eyes open.

Alice was there, looking down, her face pale and drawn. Aisha sat next to her. Her eyes were red.

"Wh-?" tried to croak Lily, but she was cut off.

"Ah, there you are, darling! Lost you for a bit, I'm afraid."

It was Madam Pomfrey, a medi-witch who had been working at the Hospital Wing for as long as anyone could remember, rather like Professor Bins and Filch.

"You were out like a light for a week, my dear. Though I've no idea how that happened –" Madam Pomfrey scowled at Alice and Aisha; the latter shrugged while Alice glared. Obviously, the subject was an old one. " – But never mind. Professor Dumbledore said he had everything well in hand."

After Lily was force-fed some bright green potion that glimmered and glowed – Lily privately thought it looked vaguely radioactive (its taste only further entrenched that belief in her mind), Madam Pomfrey bustled back to her office after promising to throw Alice and Aisha out in 20 minutes.

Once she had gone, Lily steeled herself and made her eyes go to Alice and Aisha's. Once more, her friends – former-friends? – surprised her.

Aisha's eyes filled and spilled over. Lily watched, stunned, as the self-composed, cool, calm and collected Aisha unraveled before her very eyes.

"M-Merlin, Lily, we t-thought you were d-d-dead!"

At these words, Lily, who had extended her hand towards Aisha, let it fall. "Would you even care?" she whispered.

Alice glanced back at her. Lily looked her straight in the eye. "Would you?"

Alice tried to look away, but the redhead Gryffindor's green eyes refused to let her blue ones go. Alice finally looked down. "God, Lily, course we would."

"Could have fooled me."

"How the hell were we supposed to react to that!" exploded Alice, while Aisha hiccupped and Lily paled but help her ground. "How are we supposed to react when the person you thought you knew does a total one-eighty? We thought we knew _you_ – we thought we knew your personality, the kind of person you are – and then, we find out, you're not."

"There's just more to me, that's all." Lily was quite then, her fists balling in her sheets. "That doesn't invalidate how I am here. When I'm Lily, I'm shy and nerdy and awkward. Like you think I am. When I'm Flor I'm different. That's all. That doesn't mean I was lying. How could you think" – Lily's voice broke there, but she kept going. " – that I would lie like that to my best friends?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" finally murmured Aisha. "Why didn't you trust us?"

"I do trust you. I just – couldn't trust you not to _change_. You have no idea how crazy people get around – around famous people. I just – I couldn't lose you, that's all. I didn't want us to change." Lily looked down, her eyes oddly misty. "I guess its too late now. You did change when you knew."

Aisha grabbed Lily's hand. "Not for the reason you think," she breathed. "Lily – you shook us up. Shook our worlds up. Because – " Aisha sniffled. " – because you're our rock."

"What?"

"Our rock. Alice and mine's. You keep us grounded, you're constant, you don't change, don't surprise us, you're there."

"Oh." Lily looked away. "I get it. Like a rock."

Alice huffed. "No! What she means to say is… When our lives get really crazy and we're afraid we'll get swept away – you're there. Always there. Constant and strong and immovable, something to hold on to. Something familiar. And when we found out – "

" – it was like we found out you're not actually a rock, but – but – "

"I dunno, like a mermaid's tale or something, and suddenly, that rock we were holding on to slipped away in the water."

There was a moment of silence, then Lily took a deep breath.

"How on Earth did you manage to mistake a mermaid's tale for a ro – " Alice threw a cushion at the giggling Lily, turning peony red at her friends' sniggers. "Go on, you! It was a metaphor."

"Actually," laughed Aisha. "I'm pretty sure it was a simile."

Alice rolled her eyes. Lily preened. "Well, I guess a mermaid's tale is better than a rock."

"But seriously…" the bed ridden girl looked seriously. "Your rock didn't slither away. It just had another side to it that you hadn't seen before."

Alice and Aisha looked at Lily. Lily looked back at them.

Suddenly Alice got up, and Aisha followed suit. Lily looked up at the both of them with bated breath. Aisha moved to the other side of the bed.

"Go on, move your fat arse," said Alice as she laid down next to Lily. "You're hogging the whole bed," added Aisha as she laid down on Lily's other side.

"Ow, Lily, you cow! You just elbowed me!"

"Well, maybe if Alice over here would stop _shoving_ – "

"Oh, stuff it, you whiners. I'm cold. Aisha, go get some blankets."

"What? Why me? You go!"

"You're closer."

"Am not! There's one on the bed right next to you."

"It's too far."

"Alice, let me see your wand."

"Why?"

"_Alice_."

"Fine, miss Lily-the-Nazi."

"Accio blanket!"

Fourteen blankets from all around the infirmary zoomed towards the three girls.

"Nice going, Lily!"

"Sorry…"

"Useless invalid."

"Hey! I heard that!"

"Considering I'm right next to you, I would hope so."

The three teenage Gryffindors burst into laughter once more, trying to muffle their merriment as not to tip off the nurse next door.

"Lily?"

"Yes, Alice?" Lily turned to her friend, who had now moved her head to rest against Lily's shoulder, mirroring Aisha's pose. The two girls looked expectantly at Lily.

"Tell us about… about Flor."

"Tell us about you," interjected Aisha softly. "Tell us how you became famous, how you started in music, what it feels like to sing to millions of people…"

"Oh!" gasped Alice.

"What?" Lily turned back to Alice.

"I just realized," the blond girl said, awed. "That was you! At the Halloween concert! But you were with us in the crowd… How can you be in two places at once?!"

"Alice," said Lily severely. "Are you a witch or not?"

"God, Alice!" added Aisha. "You're so dumb sometimes!"

Alice turned beet red as her best friends sniggered. "Whatever. Tell us about that too."

"Okay… but I had a question first." Lily looked at her two friends gravely. "You said I was your rock. _'When our lives get really crazy and we're afraid we'll get swept away – you're there. Always there. Constant and strong and immovable, something to hold on to. Something familiar.' _"

"Good memory," muttered Aisha.

"Thank you. Don't try to avoid the question. What do you mean, when our lives get crazy? Is something going on?"

Alice lifted her head and met Aisha's over Lily's head, who glanced between the two of them.

Finally, Alice spoke. "We promise we'll tell you. Just… not now."

"Hey – "

Aisha elbowed Lily, who winced. "Ow! Recovering person over here!"

"Sorry. Like we said, we'll tell you, but not now. **You** promised to tell us about how you got famous."

"Fine," grumbled Lily, who then suddenly frowned. "Wait. What happened to me?"

"You mean why you're in the hospital wing?" asked Alice. "Well, we overheard – "

"More like eavesdropped," muttered Aisha.

"- Like I said before I was so _rudely_ interrupted, we overheard your manager person tell Dumbledore that you touched a cursed letter, and that you fainted dead."

Lily shivered. "Why aren't I? Dead? If it was cursed?"

Aisha and Lily huddled closer to Lily, as if they were cold, despite the fact that they were covered by 14 blankets. Aisha spoke.

"The curse was botched, so instead of it leaching all your energy until you were too weak to breathe – "

" – It just knocked you out for a week. You should be fine."

"Maybe."

"Aisha!"

"What? Maybe the spell made her loony and we have no idea yet!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'd think I'd know if I were crazy, thank you. I'm quite sane."

"That's what all the crazies say," said Aisha pertly. Lily elbowed her, which Aisha reciprocated with gusto.

"O-ow!"

"Lily, be quiet. It wasn't that bad."

"How would you know?! I just came out of a coma!"

"Oh, please. You were just sleeping it off. Like a hangover!"

"I'm glad you think an energy-sapping curse is comparable to a bottle of Firewhisky."

"Stop complaining. You're alive, aren't you?"

"Barely!"

"Well, well, little miss Diva. Out rears the ugly truth – you're just another spoiled celebrity!"

"Am not!"

"Talking about celebrity, weren't you going to tell us about your rise to fame?"

"Do I have to?"

"…"

"Oh, fine."

"And hurry it up, before Nurse Nazi comes back."

"That's mean!"

"_She's_ mean! She only let us come visit you after we cornered Dumbledore and had him tell her to let us in."

"You cornered the Headmaster?"

"We can be intimidating when we want."

"ANYWAYS, back to Flor…?"

"Alright. So, when I was about 12, I bought a membership to the Music Box Club, on Diagon Alley, and one day, this woman approached me as I was playing the piano, and asked me if I wanted to sing professionally…"

**A/N: I'm so so sorry it's short! I'm in the middle of my college finals, but I PROMISE I will update TWICE more in December. Please bear with me! I will update soon, I swear!**

**ALSO, KEEP THE REVIEWS COMING! I SWEAR, THEY MAKE ME WRITE FASTER! IT TAKES 15 SECONDS PEOPLE, BUT IT MAKES MY DAY. SUPPORT YOUR WRITERS – FEED THEM REVIEWS!!!!!!**


	16. A Flower's Pinky Promise

**A/N: I have… Nothing to say. I am… shameful. Forgive me. Forgive my lateness. I am half-done with the next chapter, and it WILL be up soon. :((((((((((((((((**

**Btw, for those of you who can vote, have your registered? Come on, guys!! Let your voices be heard! **** Register, vote, be you donkeys, elephants, or anything else. Let's actually pick our candidates for the primaries this time!!**

** REGISTER AT W W W . R O C K T H E VO T E . C O M  
**

_Pinky promise me_

_You'll always love me straight and true_

_Pinky promise me_

_As I pinky promised to love only you_

'Pinky Promise'

Lily Evans

_Taken from her 2__nd__ year lyrical diary_

Chapter 16: A Flower's Pinky Promise

Bulb flashes went off. _Click. Click. Click_. The girl at the podium held her head high, her eyes steady, her face blank, yet emanating determination. In her hands, she held a picture of a smiling, pretty teenager that bore an uncanny resemblance to her.

"This," she said loudly into the microphone over the cameras, snapping cameras, and tape-recorders shoved at her face. "Is a picture of my older sister. My best friend - Brianne Parsons.

"She was the sweetest person in the world. Always cheerful, always happy – she loved life. She was popular, a cheerleader at our high school, and a won numerous awards for her dancing skills. She was beautiful, inside and out."

There the girl's face hardened. "She killed herself last week."

"She'd been depressed lately, because she and her boyfriend, the school quarterback, Brian Manning, got into a drunk driving accident, six months ago. It was tough, but she was getting through it. She was going to make it. She was taking her pills. She was recovering.

"Until that _song_ came out." There the girl practically bared her teeth, bitter rage burning in her eyes. "When that _thing_ came out, she did nothing but sit in her room and listen to it, over and _over_ and _over_ again. She didn't come down to eat. She didn't call her friends. She didn't take her pills. She didn't talk – she didn't talk to me. Just sat there. And last week, with that _song_ still playing, she slit her wrists. If found her in the bathroom. Her headphones were still on, that song_still_ playing.

"This is all Flora Hyacinthus's fault. That song, 'Irvine', brainwashed my sister into killing herself. Now she's dead and its_all her fault_. If that _song_ has never come out, Brianne would still be here. Flor needs to be stopped before that perversion she calls music spoils other people's lives. She needs to be brought to justice. She killed my sister. She killed my sister, my best friend. And for her to go unpunished, I will _not accept_." The eerie rage in Beatrix Parsons' eyes left her looking, flat, cold, empty. Except for that chilling determination to end Flora Hyacinthus – one way or another.

ifyoujustrealizewhatIjustrealized

Lily pulled her head through the navy cami that made part of her uniform. She now only missed her Gryffindor tie and her prefect badge that were safely tucked inside her trunk, in the Gryffindor Tower.

Aisha and Alice had brought her the rest of her uniform, but as they hadn't managed to open her trunk, Lily would have to go tie-less on her way back to the Tower.

After that, the two of them had gone down to Charms after promising Lily to take exhaustive notes on everything Professor Flitwick uttered.

Glancing in the mirror, Lily stared back at her rather ordinary face. Looking around, she furtively slid her wand from her pocket and fiddled with it. She hadn't changed into Flor since the accident, not even at Aisha and Alice's prodding.

Indeed, Lily was scared. Scared of what, she didn't know, but the idea of abandoning the safe, simple cover that Lily Evans presented, Lily found herself loathe to utter the incantation that would turn her carrot hair ruby, her moss eyes emerald, her freckles creamy white.

Frowning at the mirror, Lily decided she had had enough of this nonsense and decided to nip this fear in the bud before it got out of hand.

And changed herself into Flor.

Indeed, once the transformation was complete, Lily admired herself in the mirror. Much better. And see? Nothing had happened. Not Death Eaters had stormed the room. No sea of petals crushed her. No Cammi Charleston leapt out of the woodwork to terrorize her. Not students were around to laugh, no –

The infirmary door swung open.

Lily turned around, her blood turning to ice in her veins.

To her utmost relief and horror, James Potter stood in the doorway.

He stopped, arrested by the sight of the tiny singer, who turned beet red.

After a moment of silence, James finally said casually, "You look good in Hogwarts robes."

Lily smoothed her pleated skirts and offered him a shy smile. "Hey."

James grinned and leaned in the doorway of the Hospital Wing. "Hey."

Lily clasped her hands behind her back and tried to remind herself that she was not 6 anymore. "What brings you here?"

James nodded towards the Infirmary cabinet. "I was gonna pick up some bandages from the supply closet."

Lily gulped. "Isn't that against the rules?"

James' smile turned diabolical. "You gonna tell on me?" he purred.

Enchanted by the naughty twinkle in his eyes, Lily giggled. "Er… No. Wait – I mean," there, Lily tried to glare at him. "Maybe. If I feel like it."

With a theatrical sigh, James plopped himself down next to the redhead. "Ah. Well, that's problematic." He turned towards the girl he knew as Flor, and wiggled his eyebrows. "What can we do to… make this go away?" He glanced obviously at the bed they were sitting on.

With an only half-faked gasp of shocked horror, Lily recoiled. "Mr. Potter! For shame!"

"What?" he answered laughingly. "My mum taught me to work with what I was born with."

"I hardly think that mentioning your parents into such a conversation is proper."

"I agree. Our parents can stay out of this conversation… but _you_ can call me Daddy," grinned James with a leer.

This time completely red, Lily huffed. "Honestly! Like I would call you that. Besides, I'm older than you are!"

"By how much?" asked James curiously.

Lily opened her mouth… and then closed it. She looked at James ruefully. "Very good, Mr. Potter."

"I try," he answered modestly.

Lily realized at this point that she may have irrevocably compromised her identity. Impulsively, she reached out and wrapped her arms around James' arm. "Oh, please, you mustn't breathe a word about my age. It's already hard enough leading a normal life… People can't find out. I'd have to leave school."

James looked down at the girl that held his arm in such a tight lock. Her face was still a bit pink, and her eyes pleaded his openly. The vulnerability written all over her face, normally so confident on stage, made him want to just take her into his arms and hold her close, just to comfort her until that terrible uncertainty that lurked in the emerald depths disappeared. He just wanted to hold her, like he had never wanted to hold another girl. A girl that wasn't even his girlfriend…

Girlfriend. Buttercup. James winced inwardly, slightly shocked at how jarring the blonde girl's name had sounded in his head when he remembered that he shouldn't be chatting up a pop superstar when he had a _girlfriend_ – that very well could know Buttercup, or even be friends with her.

As much as he felt helplessly drawn to this Flor, he wasn't about to do something so –so dishonest to Buttercup, and to Flor. Cheating on his girlfriend – that would be insulting the two of them, while screwing himself in the process.

As all this ran through James' head, he settled for smiling at Flor and intoning cheerfully, "Your secret's safe with me."

Satisfied, Flor settled back onto the bed and swung her legs. James glanced at them. "Your legs are short."

"Your powers of deduction know no limits, Mr. Potter. Was that supposed to be a compliment?" retorted Flor tartly.

"Hardy har har. What I meant was that you are much shorter that you'd appear to be."

Lily shrugged. "Most famous artists are. Not short, per say, but shorter than they appear to be in pictures, movies, and such. Short stars are never filmed next to someone much taller than them, and shots are arranged so that they look taller on film. It's a biz trick."

"Really?" said James, eyes glowing. "I never knew."

Flor nodded. "It also has to do with perception. Famous people are already imposing as it is, so people – "

" – Expect them to be physically imposing as well. Yeah, I – well, that would make sense."

Flor tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. James glanced at her throat, her lovely, delectable throat –

"Er, where's your tie?"

Flor narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. "Now, now, Mr. Potter. I'm not about to divulge all my secrets."

"Why not?" asked James, leaning towards her, innocence scribbled all over his features. "You've given up… so many of them already."

Flor just gave a tiny shake, smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Oh ho! You didn't turn completely red this time. Good job!" At that, Lily glared at him as her cheeks turned completely red.

James grinned fleetingly. "Better luck next time."

Flor pushed him playfully, but didn't look up.

"Look at that," said James softly. "You went all shy on me again. Come on, sunshine. Smile."

She looked up at him from under her lashes and gave him a timid, minuscule smile. Inexorably pleased, James smiled back at her.

Impulsively, Flor, still bright pink, grabbed James' arm and said in a rush. "Let's be friends."

When he didn't respond, she hastily beat back, cheeks burning. Before she could free her hand, James looped his arm through hers and said solemnly, "Best friends."

"But," he cautioned. "We'll have to keep this quiet. Or else, B- Sirius, Remus and Peter might get jealous." James decided to not think about why it was his girlfriend's name, not his best friends' names, that had been on the tip of his tongue.

Just as seriously, Flor held up her pinky finger. With the gravity one might find at a funeral, James held up his pinky as well.

In hushed tones, Flor intoned. "This friendship is now sworn to secrecy. If you break the pinky swear – the Pinky Monster will come and _eat your pinky_!"

"Ooh," whistled James. "That's a good one. Sirius always says that when you break a pinky promise, your pinky gets cut off."

"I heard that too," said Flor with a frown. "But I never could figure out who's supposed to actually cut off the pinky. The person who broke the promise? Or the person to whom the promise was broken to?"

"Good question… Do you know that in Japan, if you break a pinky promise you get stabbed by a thousand needles?"

"Really!" goggled Flor.

James nodded, eyes wide. "Really. It's actually a true story. Two wizards made a pinky promise, one of them broke it, and –" with his free hand, James waved his finger like a wand. Flor winced.

"Also," added James conversationally. "In Japan, they say that when you make a pinky promise, a red thread of fate ties your two pinkies together, and when you break the promise – "

" – the thread breaks. What happens when it does?"

James leaned in a breathed, "**You get stabbed by a thousand needles**!"

Flor giggled. James frowned. "This is serious stuff, Missie!"

Flor rolled her eyes, acutely aware that their pinkies were still joined. "While were speaking of Japan, in Japanese culture, if a boy holds up his pinky towards a girl, he's referring to her as his love interest. If a girl holds up her thumb to a boy, she's referring to a male love interest."

"I see – that explains so much!"

"What?"

"Well, for firsties, it explains why Chihiro Miyasaki from Ravenclaw looked so strange in fourth year when she saw Sirius and I exchanged thumbs up in Charms one day. Come to think of it – Sirius asked her out next term. She said no."

The bed was starting to shake, Flor was laughing so hard. Her free hand covered her mouth as not to make too much noise. The two of them sat there, snickering silently, their pinkies still locked together.

When Flor calmed down, she sighed happily and propped her head against James' shoulder. "Oh, its been ages since I've laughed this hard."

James would have been quite happy to simply stay there, but the sound of an opening door had them both looking up, startled.

"That's got to be the nurse! I've got to go!" Faintly panicky, Flor looked around.

Swiftly James grabbed her hand and dragged her to another bed and sat her down.

"This'll take you to the 7th floor utilities and supplies room – its fairly big, but you should be able to find your way out," he told her as he grabbed the right-hand wooden knob of the bed-frame.

They looked at each other for a moment, trying to ignore the echoing footsteps that were getting louder and louder. "When will I see you again?" asked Flor softly.

"That's a question you could answer better."

Flor nodded. "I'll send you an owl. And remember – "

James held up his pinky, and Flor turned pinkish, but before she could respond, the door swung open, James twisted the knob –

"Oh, hello, Mr. Potter! Did you injure yourself playing Quidditch again?"

"I just came to visit someone, is all."

"As you can see, the infirmary is quite empty."

"Indeed," murmured James, and only remembered then, with his pinky still erect, of its significance.

"_While were speaking of Japan, in Japanese culture, if a boy holds up his pinky towards a girl, he's referring to her as his love interest. If a girl holds up her thumb to a boy, she's referring to a male love interest."_

Frowning at his pinky, James ambled out the door.

Domoarigatomisterroboto

Lily frowned contemplatively at the flickering TV screen. At the girl holding a picture of a smiling teen, her own face set in stone. In her eyes burned a fanatical flame that bore ill towards Flora Hyacinthus.

Miss Collins huffed. "Of course, these cannibals are eating it up. I cannot believe this – that you would be blamed for the suicide of this troubled girl! " With another aggravated sigh, Miss Collins turned on her heels and stalked away, muttering about Americans.

Lily just sat there, in the luxurious pad that oversaw London, her recording studio and weekend getaway. She'd been planning on staying at Hogwarts to reconnect with Aisha and Alice, but when the urgent message from Miss Collins had arrived by express mail, she couldn't ignore the summons she'd been issued.

She'd promised to take her friends to the studio next week – Lily hadn't been keen on adding a surprise visit to the brewing drama.

Lily crossed to the coffee table where the picture of Brianne Parsons smiled up at her. Her dirty blonde hair gleamed under the photographer's spotlight. The American girl radiated with confidence and superficial sweetness, as a girl comfortable with herself, a nice enough girl who, perhaps didn't realize how her actions impacted others.

Shaking her head, Lily had been ready to dismiss the incident, write it up as another instance when people's pain got the better of them, and get on with her life, comfortable in the belief that the issue would just sort itself out. As sad as she was for the Parsons, she would not even deem these accusations with a response, as she customarily did.

As Lily crossed over to the couch to find the remote to turn off the television, her hand froze. The remote slid from her nerveless hand and as if hypnotized Lily approached the flat screen, falling to her knees in front of it, staring so hard she half-expected her green orbs to burn a hole right through the plasma.

There, standing next to the iron Beatrix Parsons, stood a short woman in a dark gray suit. She was a soft-looking woman with mahogany hair with dark highlights and black glasses. She was pretty, in a girl-next-door kind of way, a subtle prettiness.

With a sad, apologetic smile, the woman stepped forwards and put her hands on Beatrix's shoulders.

"Hello!" the woman chirruped in a sweet voice, her eyes large and innocent; a Southern twang rung in her voice. Lily noted dimly her eyes were very pretty, a nice burgundy color, like old wine or aged wood. "I'm sorry, y'all, but unfortunately, this conference'll have to be cut short. Please, if you have any additional questions, please send them to our organization, Americans Against Violent Media, the AAVM, whose headquarters are located in Charleston, South Carolina. My name's Cameron Chandler, but ya'll can address your inquiries to me under Cammi C. Thank you for your time. Have a good day, and please support out cause to bring this Flora Hyacinthus to justice and bring her brainwashing and corruption to an end."

Lily was frozen. He breath came out in short gasps. She opened her mouth to call for Miss Collins –

And closed her mouth.

Lily – Flor – rarely got angry. When she did, her violent redhead temper got the best of her, until she couldn't see, much less think, straight.

Not this time. This time, Lily wasn't angry. She thought about how helpless, how tiny, how violated, how scared and scarred she had felt when she first had let Cammi Charleston get the best of her without so much as a peep. No, this time, Lily wasn't angry. She was enraged.

They said rage turned your vision red. It turned Lily's icy blue, until the only thing she could think of was how she was going to end this, once and for all, and free herself from Cammi Charleston's oppressive shadow.

Her fingers curled into the plush carpet. And smiled. Had anyone who had ever known Lily or Flor had seen her at that moment, they wouldn't have recognized her. Revenge was a dish best served cold, they said.

This was one dish Lily intended to deliver icy. No one – _no one_ – would ever take advantage of Lily Evans or of Flora Hyacinthus ever, _ever_ again.

Lily crossed over to the couch and flipped the TV off. "Miss Collins?"

Her manager's voice floated over from the next room. "Yes?"

"Schedule a press conference for me, would you?"

bychanginghermisconceptionsshewentinanewdirectionandfoundinsideshefeltaconnection

**A/N: I'm writing the next chap, I swear! It will be more prompt, I promise and swear. I pinky swear!!! But please**

**Please**

**Please**

**Review!! They are my food, feeding my inner author. Please it takes 30 seconds and MAKES MY DAY. 30 sec of your day A WHOLE DAY OF EUPHORIA AND WRITING FOR ME!!**


	17. A Flower's Heart Dent

A/N: My dear, dear reviewers!!!! How you brighten up my day with your sweet reviews! See, you reviewed, and now I've updated SO MUCH FASTER!!! Should every chapter be this bountiful, this story would go much faster. :)

**PLEASE READ! VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!**

**People have been saying that the fact that Flor is getting blamed for the suicide of Brianne Persons is not believable and far-fetched, that it would never happen.**

**It has.**

**I based this plotline on particular court cases where music bands have been sued and brought to civil court – in the U.S. – because their family blamed their suicide on the music. FOR EXAMPLE!!!! In 1985, two Nevada young men shot themselves after listening to the band "Judas Priest". Their family sued the band and their label for inciting the boys' suicides with their music and subliminal messages in the music to kill themselves.**

**The courts judged that Judas Priest was not liable (they weren't responsible) but this happens very often. Remember the Columbine Shootings? Shock rocker Marilyn Manson was blamed for the tragedy, along with heavy metal music and video games.**

**They Fought the Law**** by Stan Soocher is a book about how music, mostly rock music has been taken to court. The Beatles, John Lennon, were taken to court for their music as well.**

"**Americans Against Violent Media" is NOT a real organization, but the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) is.**

**Here's a quote from Wikipedia (and yes, I checked: these are reliable facts): **

"**The PMRC claimed that popular music was partially responsible for the perceived contemporary increase in violence, rape, teen pregnancy, and teen suicide." (From the entry Parents Music Resource Center, people blamed shock rocker Marylin Manson for the Columbine Shootings, saying his music led to them killing 13 people at their high school. For more on that, you really should check out "Bowling For Columbine": talks about American media, it's a really great movie (although if you hate Michael Moore, you probably won't enjoy it. ;)**

**So you see, while Flor may not be as controversial as rock bands, it's not that much of a stretch to have her be blamed for a girl's suicide. She's popular, and you've seen from the hate mail she gets, she can sometimes get people riled up.**

**I did research this to make this plot not completely far-fetched (Well. Not anymore far-fetched than it already is. :), so it's not that unbelievable. And remember, with Cammi in the picture… Who knows??**

_**Chapter 17: A Flower's Heart Dent**_

_It's just not fair_

_God, It's just not fair_

_Why does she have to be here_

_Some girls always get all guys_

_Some girls – not me – surprise, surprise_

_Is she pretty?_

_Is she blond?_

_Is she allergic to almonds?_

_Here, look, I made you both this cake_

_Oops, sorry – look, it was my mistake_

_You girlfriend went into anaphylactic shock_

_She's all swollen up – but I mustn't mock_

_So sorry baby that I killed your girlfriend_

_Hey, by the way, are you free this weekend?_

"So Sorry" (I Killed Your Girlfriend)

Flor Hyacinthus

_New Song – yet to be released_

Ms. Collins stood in a dark plum suit, head bowed, hands folded neatly in front of her. Her serious expression was mirrored by her entourages', whom were all gathered on a makeshift-raised stage in front on a mahogany podium. In front of the podium, the microphones attached to it, and crowd of reporters and photographers, stood the minuscule Flor Hyacinthus, somberly resplendent in a black sheath dress, elbow-length black gloves with lavender lace accents, and black wedge shoes covered with lavender lace. Her hair was braided with black and lavender ribbons. Her face was pale and free of makeup; she wore large black sunglasses with lilac frames that covered half her face.

"Thank you for coming today."

Click. Click. Flashes went off intermittently, the only noise in the crowd. Flor swept her gaze across the crowd. All eyes and cameras were trained on her.

"I would, first of all, like to present my sincerest and deepest condolences to the Parson family. I myself… know the pain one feels at the sudden departure of a loved one."

At her words, the crowd quivered, salivating at the thought of getting some more information on the very, _very_ private life of a famed singer.

"A terrible thing has happened to them, and I hope and wish with all my heart that they will one day find solace and peace in the memory of their beloved daughter."

"However…" There, Flor removed her sunglasses, brushing her bangs out of her violently green eyes, which were narrowed into jade slits. AT THEIR EXPENSE

"… I am _appalled_ and _furious_ at how vindictive and manipulative organizations are preying upon people at their most vulnerable, like the Parsons, to further their own gain and personal agendas.

"For years the music industry has been made a scapegoat for the troubles befalling the youth of the world – music has been blamed for teenage violence, promiscuity, and disobedience.

"I make music. I sing. I write songs and compose them and record them and I put down my soul – my art – on these CDs out for the world to see. People – teenagers – connect with that, with these thoughts, these feelings, with what I've been through. That's why people listen to me.

"However, I refuse to be accused of causing the death of one of my fans! I love my audience – I love them and I sing for them and I compose for them because when they listen to me, when they come to see me, they make me feel better, just as they expect me to make them feel better. I would never wish for any harm to befall them.

"I'm sorry – more sorry than you'll ever know for Brianne. I wish she could've gotten the help she needed, I wish my music could have done more to help, I wish I'd known, I wish I could've done something… But I couldn't. I didn't know Brianne Parson. I couldn't help her. But that doesn't mean I hurt her.

"To all parents and advocates and politicians who believe that music – art – the expression of my feelings and hurts and joys – can really cause someone to kill themselves, perhaps they should look closer at their own culture, their own problems, before looking for others to blame. I'm just a singer. I don't have that kind of power of my fans.

"I hope that the Parsons will overcome their grief and move on with their lives – and I hope that finally, the public will realize that the entertainment industry is not to be blamed for the woes in people's lives. The fact that I sing didn't make Brianne Parson's friends drink and drive, the fact that I sing didn't cause the deadly car accident that Brianne Parson was involved in, and the fact that I sing certainly didn't affect the decision Brianne Parson made to take her own life. I hope she finds peace wherever she is, and I hope her family will be able to, one day, look back on her memory with smiles, and not tears.

"Thank you."

With that, Flora Hyacinthus left the stage, setting off a domino effect that would eventually shake up the whole entertainment world.

"**And tonight on CMNN, in entertainment news, following last week's now infamous address by pop star Flora Hyacinthus, the whole music industry has made it clear that they are backing up miss Hyacinthus in her claim that she is not to blame for the angst of her fans."**

"**Not just the music business, Paula, but the whole entertainment industry has been one sided about this! Actresses, Actors, singers, writers, TV producers, video game designers, artists of all kinds have banded around Flor, denouncing the groups suing her for Brianne Parson's suicide, saying that television, film, music and video games are not to be held responsible for the choices their consumers make."**

"**The debate rages on all over the world: is the entertainment world setting a bad example to out youngsters? We have two experts on hand. Melisha Cuthbert, for the PMRC, is here in the studio…"**

O.O

_Dear Readers, this Daily Prophet reporter has heard from a number of reliable sources that songbird Flora Hyacinthus, popular both in the Muggle and Wizarding world, has been accused of causing the suicide of a Muggle girl with her music; apparently, the sad music led a girl to taking her own life while listening to the music. Wizard and Muggle parents have been worried for a long time now how the music their children are listening to affects their daily lives. However, not everyone was against starlet Flor! Wizard artists have fired back in her support: quoting Terrence Higgleburns, author and co-artist on the hit comic series, "Marvin Miggs the Mad Muggle": "The characters in our comics mess up a lot –they mispronounce spells, do potions backwards, steal Acromentula eggs; in a comic, that's funny. And Marvin's always all right in the end. But do you know how many parents have accused me of perpetuating magical accidents involving kids? That's crazy! Just because Marvin steals a wand and turns his sister in a Jobberknoll, doesn't mean that I think kids should turn their siblings into Flobberworms and all! We're here to entertain you by doing something we love. Don't blame me if your kid turned the family Kneazle into a Horklump. Next time, hide your wand a little better." Even international Quidditch Star, Ric Lyon, has written off the accusations as "Supercilious and without merit." He also says that he hopes that Miss Flor "weathers this situation with aplomb", commends her on her "superbly delivered speech," and adds that "it is not my fault if your child tried to do a Wronsky Feint and crashed in the neighbor's roof, so please don't try to blame me for it." However, one star was not on Miss Flor's side; her long-time songstress rival Grendelle Gamp, who has been quoted as saying, "Serves her right for consorting with Muggles. If one plays with dirt, one gets dirty. In my opinion, she should crawl back to the Muggle World from whence she came. It makes my – "_

" '– Skin crawl to think that she and I might have attended Hogwarts together??'" Alice gaped at the paper, while Aisha frowned at her eggs.

"What a bi – "

"I really don't care what Grendelle Gamp has to say," interrupted Lily with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "She's more famous in the Wizarding World for being a pure-blood fanatic than for her songs. Besides, have you noticed her name? If my name was Grendelle, I'd be mean too!"

"I know, right?" snickered Alice. "Who wants to be named after a mythical monster?"

"I'd be more embarrassed by the fact that she got killed by someone names _Beowulf_."

"Is Grendel even a she?"

"I don't even know."

"I'm just glad she graduated two years ago."

"Amen to that."

"Come on, you two," said Lily good-naturedly. "Aisha, enjoy your free period."

Aisha sniffed. "Not with all those essays that need to get written."

Alice and Lily packed their bags and headed to class.

"Still, Lily," muttered Alice, gesturing at the Daily Prophet she still held. "That was really ballsy." Both girls looked around subtly, making sure that no one was listening when Lily hissed back,

"It was necessary! Do you know how often I'm blamed for stuff like this? Two years ago, a 12 year old muggle girl on Halloween got raped while trick-or-treating, and because she was wearing a Flora Hyacinthus costume, people tried to pin it on me!"

"What? How does that even make sense?"

"I dunno, I was too racy or something. Like its my fault there are sick and twisted people on this planet. Like that V bloke."

Alice nodded slowly, pursing her lips.

Lily continued. "I'm just so frustrated. I don't even know what to do anymore, and I'm so sure that this whole thing is just another plot…" her voice trailed off.

"Plot?" asked Alice, looking interested. "What are you talking about?"

Lily just shook her head. She'd had her doubts, but now Lily knew something was wrong with this whole Cammi person. After taking a look at the hate mail she'd gotten, she couldn't help erase from her mind the fact that a large number of Voldemort fanatics had wanted her gone, since they thought her dirty for associating with Muggles. Lily had a strange feeling…

Besides, she couldn't admit the fact that the real reason she'd said something was to rile up Cammi, or whatever he name was, and have her come out of the woodwork once more so Lily could finally confront her, and get the answers she needed.

"Nothing, nothing," smiled Lily, and waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. Anyways, people are just hoping to make a quick buck off of it. It'll blow over."

AflowersfameemafsrewolfA

Later that evening, as Lily labored over her impossible Transfiguration essay, she heard a little ratataptap on the window. Curious, Lily looked up, and same an owl perched at the window, tapping the glass.

Lily rose, hesitant to open the window – it was at mid-December, after all; Christmas break was only a week or so away.

Ignoring the blast of icy cold air, Lily let the owl in.

The jet-black owl flew to a pair of antlers stuck to the wall and landed on them gracefully, puffing its feathers up once it was nice and settled. As it got comfy, it shook its leg until a little not fluttered down into Lily's hands.

Lily opened it with a pounding heart.

Come meet me at the third courtyard on the second floor.

Lily bit her lip worriedly. The walled garden might be technically outside, but it was comfortably nestled at the heart of Hogwarts – it was almost certain that her correspondent was a student, but still…

With a deep breath, Lily glanced at the owl again. The sight of it reassured her marginally – she was certain she'd seen the owl before. It was probably a school owl, reaffirming her suspicion that the mysterious note writer was a student.

But who would write to Lily Evans? Maybe it was a mistake. Or maybe… Someone had found out…

Lily hurried to get her coat – and her wand. One never could be too sure. The Common Room was deserted, so Lily let the dozing owl be – it wouldn't bother anyone.

perfectforeachotherneverhavetowander

Lily advanced into the dark courtyard, wand clutched against her body – she peered into the darkness, but couldn't pierce it.

"Lily."

The voice warmed Lily, the familiar yet mysterious voice causing her to take a step back.

"R-Ric?? Wha – How did you – "

Ric grinned and held up his broom.

Lily pinkened and crossed her arms. "I should have known." She narrowed her eyes. "The owl – "

"School owl," replied Ric smoothly, as if amused by her distrust.

"How do you know about the Owlery? Were you – are you a student here?"

Ric just smirked at her. "Good try. But when you come here on broom, it's not easy to mistake the Owlery, with birds swooping in and out of it all the time."

"I thought there were wards around the castle," said Lily curiously, sitting down next to Ric on the stone bench.

"There are. Mostly. But it you can fly well – well, you can find a way. These wards were **not** designed to stand against a professional."

"So… why are you here?"

"I was in the area, so I thought I'd pop by to say hi."

Lily grinned at him. " 'In the area'. Because this part of the country is a real metropolis."

Ric wrinkled his nose at her. "I'll remind you that Quidditch pitches are set up all over the country, and remote locations are necessary for them not to be discovered."

"Ah."

"Anyways, I wanted to wish you a happy Christmas. You going somewhere?"

Lily shook her head. "I'm not planning to. I might go visit some friends, but I'm planning to spend the majority of the time here. You?"

Ric exhaled, the air turning white from his breath. "I'll be busy, playing Quidditch overseas, mostly. It's fun, but really tiring. And I do wish that sometimes, I wasn't so busy, you know?"

"I can imagine," murmured Lily.

But then Ric turned towards her suddenly. "Want to hear a funny story?"

"Sure," smiled Lily. "Hit me."

And for the next half hour, Ric regaled Lily with absurd tales of him falling off his broom and grabbing the referee's broom, how one time, the cheerleaders for the opposing team had cheered whenever he go near the Snitch, and how one time, and how some of his most ardent fans had managed to sneak inside his locker room and "decorate" his Quidditch robes with hearts and kisses – and that his teammates hadn't told him until _after_ they'd started the game.

Lily laughed until a few tears squeezed out of her eyes.

Ric, grinning wiped one off her cheek. Lily stopped smiling, and just looked up at Ric, whose face was so close to hers. All the laughter leached out of her face.

"Really," Lily whispered. "Ric… Why are you here?"

Ric didn't move, keeping his face only inches from hers. The suddenly his face took on a tortured expression.

"I'm here – because I, well, because I wanted to be here – because I wanted to see you."

"Oh?" asked Lily, breathless. Her eyes were open wide, as if mesmerized by his aquamarine orbs, that oddly reminded her of another pair, only this time brown…

But this wasn't James Potter. This was Ric Lyon.

Ric didn't take his eyes off her's either. He trailed his finger across her cheek, softly, ever so softly. But his hand dropped away.

"I want to be here – even though I shouldn't be. I can't be here. It isn't right." Ric look so tortured, Lily knew he could only mean one thing

"Oh." Lily let her disappointment permeate her voice, and leaned away, struggling to keep her tone light. "What's her name?" she asked softly.

Ric's eyes filled with relief at her understanding. "Thanks… You know… If we'd met – "

"Different time, different place, huh?" Lily smiled wistfully. All the good ones were taken, indeed.

Ric grinned back, but the sobered quickly. "I still want us to be friends, though. I really like you, Lils."

Lils heart twinged, thinking how those words could have been interpreted in different conditions.

"Let's be friends, then. Best friends."

Rich held up his pink finger. Lily took one look at it, and burst out laughing.

:) O.0

Lily stumbled back to her bed. Alice and Aisha looked up at her blearily. "Where were you?"

Lily flopped back on her bed with a sigh. "I was off wishing for a different time and a different place. And for less friends."

Alice frowned. "Wha – "

Aisha only smiled with a small shake of her head. "Al, you wouldn't understand." She turned towards Lily, who smile sadly back at her friend. "They're all taken, aren't they?"

Lily nodded. "Some girls have all the luck."

Alice pouted. "I'm not getting it."

Lily rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't, Mrs. Longbottom."

Alice huffed and rolled back into bed. "I have being kept out of the loop."

Aisha yawned. "Girl, you _are_ in the loop. We're the ones who are out of it."

Intelligentinputdialing

The rest of term went as planned, with finals swamping the students down. Before long, though, Christmas break was upon Hogwarts.

It was one of the best breaks Lily ever spent. She spent half of it at Hogwarts, exchanging letters with Ric and James and wishing at least ONE of them didn't have a girlfriend, but forming closer, tighter bonds with her newfound friends.

The rest of the time, Lily spent as Flor, with her American friends "Allison" and "Ash". Allison loved her new black bob and magical Southern Twang, while Ash opted for a Valley Girl accent and curly red locks. They couldn't open their mouths without the other two cracking up every time.

Flor traveled to the States to perform, and to keep asserting the fact that she would not be cowed by the ongoing lawsuit. Ash and Allison thoroughly enjoyed being backup singers and meeting cute American boys, though Allison insisted that she was only window-shopping and frequently wrote to the Longbottom Manor.

All too soon, December moved on to January, and term started up again. February rolled around, with the debate surrounding Brianne's suicide only gaining momentum instead of petering out like most thought it would. Lily only waited for Cammi's next move anxiously, all the while trying to ignore the fact that James Potter had gotten the Great Hall to rain down flower petals when his girlfriend came in, and that Ric had told her that he wouldn't be able to write her that week, because he was in 'preparations' for his girlfriend's Valentine Day.

Lily did her best not to gape at the tonsil hockey match that was taking place only 5 seats down from her. She only hoped Buttercup didn't end up smothering James – or vice versa. It really was hard to guess which one would first pass out from lack of oxygen.

But what Lily didn't know was that what she was waiting for – what she was dreading, in fact – was in plans. And that soon – very soon – her opponent would play the next move, one that would leave Lily in the check position.

Chess reference! Check – when the king piece is in danger of being taken down by the opponent, but can still get out of it… Maybe.

**A/N: I know right now, the story's a bit slow but what happens next chapter blows it all out of the water!!! Poor Lily. If she only knew…**

**ANYWAYS, REVIEW!!!! I'm in the middle of midterms, so this has been written at 4:30 AM. Please reward my deprivation of sleep with sweet**

**SWEET**

**RewiewwwwS!!!!!!!! Please and thank you……… :)**


	18. A Flower's Death

Lily plopped herself down on the sofa and opened the red leatherbound notebook resting on her lap

**A/N: I… have no excuse. Actually, I do – passing college finals, transferring out of college to a new college, baby-sitting, preparing my trip back to the motherland next week – but really, I'm so so sorry. Thanks for sticking with me: this chapter is 25 pages long (!) and 10,000 words long so I hope it was worth the wait. THIS ONE'S FOR KRISTIN-CHAN!!**

_A Flower's Death_

Lily plopped herself down on the sofa and opened the blue leather-bound notebook resting on her lap. The pages crinkled invitingly as Lily dipped her quill in purple ink and quickly etched her greeting in the virgin pages.

**Hi. Are you here?**

_Hey, Miss Flor._

"_Happy Birthday!" cried Alice and Aisha in unison. "Whoo! You're legal now!"_

_Lily colored and smiled happily. Her birthday had always been a very special, uniquely Lily thing, as Flora Hyacinthus had no age and therefore no birthday. Tipping her frilly party hat back, Lily asked, a mischievous smile on her face, "Cake or presents?"_

"_Presents!!"_

_From Alice, Lily got a beautiful set of watercolors, complete with brushes, watercolor paper, and a myriad of tubes of paint, "in case that singing thing doesn't work out"._

_From Aisha, she received a beautiful zither, an Indian lap guitar. Enchanted, Lily plucked at it delightedly while Aisha promised to teach her all she knew about the instrument, which she admitted herself wasn't much._

_As Lily strummed away and Aisha and Alice started fiddling with the paints, they did not notice the third package left unopened on the table._

_After stuffing themselves with cake, Aisha and Alice had left Lily's private rooms to go clean up and rejoin their beds. Lily stayed behind to put some order in the room and apply the finishing touches on some demos she would send to the studio tomorrow – they were almost done, but Lily always listened to her songs one last time before passing it on to Miss Collins. She didn't notice the last present, a large, thin rectangular package, wrapped in burgundy paper and gold ribbons, until she was ready to leave the room. Startled, Lily paused and went back to the table, thinking furiously._

_Could it be from Petunia? No, they hadn't talked in years. She had tried to send her letters, but had never received word from her sister. Why would she send her a present? More to the point, HOW would she have sent it? It's not like Petunia kept an owl in her attic, ready for mail delivery._

_Or maybe Hagrid. Lily had always loved the gentle giant, who had been especially kind to her when she had been a painfully shy first year. _

_Lily bit her lip. It could be dangerous, after all. From someone who had found out her identity, and was ready to use it against her. Maybe it was from supporters of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, as people had started calling him; she had been criticized for years by purebloods for encouraging young witches and wizards to respect and appreciate the muggle world and their ingenuity. After all, the magical world still used candles, something muggles had outgrown a hundred years ago. Needless to say, many purebloods were not amused by that little gem, which Flor had let drop in an interview with _Transfiguration Today.

_Lily pulled out her wand and cautiously poked the package. Her willow wand spewed out green sparks, meaning that her spell had detected no dark magic. She grimaced. Whatever was wrapped in the gold foil could still be unpleasant, but at least it wouldn't be dangerous._

_So Lily ripped the paper off, only to discover – _

_A large, slim volume, a journal-like book bound in red leather. Surprised, Lily flipped through the book. It was blank, the manila-white pages smooth and untouched. Lily allowed herself to sniff the journal delicately. It smelled wonderful - that new book smell that had never failed to sooth her frazzled nerves, that made her eager to plunge into a new story, learn new things, and start writing new songs. That smell had always made Lily think of new beginnings and fresh starts._

_She sat down slowly, and looked in the packaging for a card. There wasn't one._

_Lily shrugged and pulled out her self-inking quill. It had always been a habit of hers to write her name inside any new journal she bought. Carefully, she etched her name at the top of the first page._

**Lily Evans**

_To Lily's amazement, the words that she had written into the journal were suddenly fading from the page, as if the letters were sinking into the paper like weights in water._

_**Hello, Lily Evans.**_

_Lily gaped at the words that leached onto the paper, emerging from the journal like balloons bobbing to the surface of the page. These words were written in blue ink, unlike her jade-colored words. Also, the handwriting was different._

_Cautiously, Lily wrote on the page:_

**Who are you?**

**_I supposed you could say I'm a friend._**

**Excuse me if that doesn't particularly inspire my trust. We always are told in class never to trust something if you can't see where it keeps its brain.**

_**Well, currently my brain is in Puddlemere, but I can assure you that I am trustworthy. After all, we did make a pinky promise. **_

_- For a wild moment, Lily thought she had been conversing with James Potter. He's discovered me! Her mind shrieked, but her cool green eyes zoomed in to where he said he was. Puddlemere. Who did she know who was from Puddlemere…? - _

**Ric?**

_**Very good! I always knew you were a smart one.**_

**You scared me! How on Earth did you know my birthday? And how are we talking?**

_**Well, remember the night I came to see you, and we made that pinky promise? You told me your birthday. And as for this book – haven't you heard about two-way communication? Like the muggle phellyphone.**_

**Telephone****.**

_**What?**_

**You mean telephone, not phellyphone.**

_**Right – you're muggleborn, you'd know.**_

**I'd hope so.**

_**Anyways, some wizard invented a two-way spell, which links two objects together so you can talk to each other. It can be mirrors, journals – I thought that might be easier, so we don't kill our owls trying to talk. They started selling them at Flourish and Blotts, and you can find them in most wizarding stores nowadays. So… You like it?**_

**Of course I do! It's a wonderfully clever idea. Thank you. I was getting worried about Bubo.**

_**Bubo?**_

**My snowy owl.**

… _**Bubo? Seriously?**_

**Don't be a git. Bubo means owl in Latin. Besides, I didn't name him, Hargrid gave him to me. Hargrid's our groundskeeper.**

_**Your groundskeeper gives you owls?**_

**Hagrid loves animals, and he told me he found Bubo as an egg in the Forbidden Forest my second year. I happened to visit Hagrid the day the egg hatched, and Bubo saw me. Thought I was his mother, it was so cute.**

_**That's so adorable!**_

**Do I detect sarcasm?**

_**Me? Never.**_

**Har har. Maybe you should practice staying on your broom, instead of mocking my bird.**

_**Ouch. Low blow! And I'll let you know, I won that game. **_

**You've also won a Dangerous Dai Commemorative Medal.**

_**Your point?**_

**Maybe you should practice the art of trying not to turn every single match into a near-death experience. **

_**But those are so much fun. There's a white tunnel of light, and I can see Merlin in blue robes waving at me - **_

**Like I'm going to believe that. Merlin would not be wearing blue robes. He would be wearing white ones.**

_**No, I'm quite sure they were blue.**_

**We'll just have to agree to disagree.**

_Lily grinned. She had missed talking to Ric that way. As fun as letters were, it had been quite some time they had been able to cross verbal swords with him. His biting wit never failed to impress her._

**Say, you talk like this to a lot of your friends?**

_**I have to. My mates have some journals too, and my girlfriend has a two-way mirror as well.**_

_Lily felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on her head. Girlfriend. She'd forgotten._

_**Well, I have to run. Gotta practice for next match – and I promised my girl I'd call in tonight.**_

… **Right. Right. You're pretty busy. I shouldn't be keeping you. Thanks for the present. I – I love it. It's dead useful.**

_**Write you tomorrow?**_

**Sure. Write you tomorrow. Good night.**

_And with that, Lily closed the journal with a snap, thinking to herself that she would have to visit that shop, and soon. She tried not to think about Ric's girlfriend, or James', for that matter._

_Two weeks later, James Potter received a curiously blank blue leather journal, and with it, Lily went from having to visit the Owlery three times a day to being able to talk – or write, in her case – to both Ric and James from the comfort of her room._

LALALA

Two months had gone by since Lily's birthday, and March was standing on its last leg, hours away from abdicating the night to rainy April. After a particular spirited debate with James via journal as to which was hardest to learn, Mermish or Japanese, Lily closed her journal lovingly and tried to relax. He had made a strong case for Mermish, but Lily trounced him by nothing that at least Mermish didn't have three different sets of writing styles. In the end, he conceded to her 'superior intellect', quote unquote, though Lily had a sneaking suspicion that maybe James had been the tiniest bit sarcastic.

Lily curled up on the settee, knees drawn up to her chest, her forehead propped against her legs. With a waive of her wand, she turned her music player on to listen to her new demo once more before she sent it out to her agent. She squeezed her eyes shut and let her own voice bewitch the room like only music could – let the melodies vanquish the terrifying silence that had settled in her heart.

_He looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see_

_That I want and I'm needing everything that we should be_

_I'll bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about_

_And she's got everything that I have to live without_

_He talks to me, I laugh cause it's just so funny_

_That I can't even see anyone when he's with me_

_He says he's so in love, he's finally got it right,_

_I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night_

_He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar_

_The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star_

_He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do_

_He walks by me, can he tell that I can't breathe?_

_And there he goes, so perfectly,_

_The kind of flawless I wish I could be_

_She'd better hold him tight, give him all her love_

_Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky cause_

_He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar_

_The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star_

_He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do_

_So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light_

_I'll put his picture down and maybe_

_Get some sleep tonight_

_He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar_

_The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart_

_He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do_

_He's the time taken up, but there's never enough_

_And he's all that I need to fall into_

_He looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see_

Aisha stood in the doorframe. "That was beautiful." She crossed over to Lily's side and snuggled into the loveseat, throwing her arms around her friend.

Her breath tickled Lily's ear. "Which one?" Aisha didn't need to elaborate.

"Both. Neither. Oh, I don't know… I guess – yeah, I guess it's about both of them," sniffled Lily. "They're just so different, but so wonderful in their own ways.

"Ric – Ric is sweet, and unpretentious, and funny in a totally unintentional way. With him, I feel like we could be friends forever, like he'd always be good to me. James… James is a king, and he knows it too. He's flirty and smooth and knows exactly what he's doing. When you're with him, you feel like you're a queen, because he could score any bird he wants, but instead he's talking to you."

Lily fell back on the settee. "It's moot anyways," she said dully. "They're both taken."

Aisha sat next to her and stroked her head, smiling wistfully. "All the good ones are, aren't they?"

LALALA

The worst day of Lily's life started out quite normally. She got up, snarked at Alice to get out of the shower, which sparked a wet towel fight, which promptly woke up all the occupants of the dorm room, much to their displeasure.

20 minutes later, Lily was downstairs, happily munching on toast, reviewing her notes with Alice for their Defense Against the Dark Arts quiz next period.

"Hinkypunk!"

"Er… a small one-legged creature which likes to lead travelers at night off the right path into bogs and marshes!"

"Okayyy… Cerberus!"

"A Cerberus is a giant dog, reaching up to 10 feet in height, that happens to have 3 heads. A number of different breeds exist within the Cerberus family, but the most common one more closely resembles the hellhound breed. However, German shepherds, pit bulls and hounds, such as pharaoh hounds and greyhounds, are most common too. There have been reports of Chihuahua Cerberus dog sightings, though naturalists have been unable to confirm…"

Alice giggled at the thought of a fierce, three-headed Chihuahuas.

Lily continued in a singsong tone. "Cerberuses are famously prone to sleepiness when music is played in their presence. Playing an instrument or singing work quite well. But you actually have to be a good singer to get them to sleep, which is strange, because Cerberuses apparently are much less critical when you play an instrument."

"Cerberuses or Cerberi? Besides, Lils, how do you know all that? Burns never mentions about the music thing," asked Alice absently as she flipped through her notes.

"That's because Burns is incompetent," frowned Lily.

"You're biased because she hates you," Aisha said airily. She went back to her food hastily after catching a glance at Lily's expression.

Frostily, Lily muttered, "No, really?"

"ANYWAYS, Lily…?"

"Oh, yeah," Lily blinked at her. "Quirinus Quirrel told me. You know, that 7th year Hufflepuff? He's pretty nice, if a bit of a pushover. Brilliant, though. Spouted at me the whole history of Cerberuses – "

"– Cerberi – " coughed Alice.

" – as I was saying before _I was so rudely interrupted_, he told me all I wanted to know when he saw me checking out _Magical Beasts_ in the library."

Alice checked her watch and grimaced. "Come on, time for class and our quiz on Cerberi."

"Cerberuses."

"Cerberi!"

"Cerberuses, Alice."

"Lily, it's called a Cerb – "

"Oh, will you two shut up?"

Lily knew, looking back, that as long as she lived, she would never forget that day. The day when, after years of playing with fire, she finally got burnt. Indeed, Lily often thought of that day as a great wildfire that had, in a matter of minutes, set her whole world ablaze, and that no amount of water could have ever quenched its destructive power as it burned her life – lives – to cinders and ash. Finally, after the fire had fizzled out, having nothing left to devour, she also realized that as much as the fire had destroyed her, it had also cleared her out – leaving her to start her life anew, however she chose to do it. It was a day of mourning and loss, of a long and dear chapter coming to an end. But also, it was the day of renewal and progress – the day the next part of her life began.

After Defense, Alice and Aisha sat on Lily's either sides at the lunch table.

"Huh," Alice said wonderingly, "After all that talk on Cerberi – Cerberi, Lily! – we didn't even get quizzed on them."

Lily shrugged. "I learned quite a bit anyways. Apparently, there are Cerberuses – yes, Alice, Cerberuses! – in the Forbidden Forest. Cerberuses, in our back yard. Hmm."

Aisha rolled her eyes. "I'd like to refresh the memory of present company that meeting a Cerberus is highly unlikely, because even if they live in the Forbidden Forest, the Forbidden Forest is still – la and behold – Forbidden."

Lily and Alice, at the same time, drawled out, "You don't say."

Alice shook her head and helped herself to shepherd pie. "Not that it stops anyone."

"It stops me," Lily frowned. "I don't want to meet a Cerberus – ever."

"Says the singing pop superstar who'd have the beast in Lalaland in a matter of seconds," teased Aisha.

Lily sniffed at her, but dropped the subject. You never knew who was listening around here.

The rest of the day proceeded normally, discounting the fact that it had started raining in the Great Hall during lunch, which apparently made everyone's food sprout flowers – though Lily noted critically that the flowers looked more like weeds than anything. Under the table, Aisha grumbled, "How come they haven't stopped it yet? Normally Dumbledore takes care of those pranks in a minute."

Lily, who had managed to transfigure her fork into an umbrella in the nick of time, answered her as she observed the cluster of sorry looking orchids that had bloomed out of her vanilla pudding. "Dumbledore was called two days ago to an ICW meeting."

"ICW? You mean the International Confederation of Wizards?"

"Yeah," nodded Lily. "He is the Supreme Mugwump, after all. I think they're going to try to ban magic carpets – something about violating some Misuse of Muggle Artifact Law, I think."

As the teachers scrambled madly to try and calm the soaked students, a bright neon message appeared on the wet Hall floor,

"_April Showers Bring May Flowers,_

_Happy Fool's Day from the Marauders"_

Soaked the bone, a grinning Alice nudged Lily. "You could teach them a thing or two about writing, couldn't you Flo-Flo?"

"Shh!" hissed Lily, pointing her wand at a knife on the floor. It neatly became a grey umbrella that Alice scooped up and flung open. "You need to stop saying things like that, _Allison_. You never know who's listening."

Alice rolled her eyes and then glanced at Lily's sunny umbrella. "How come yours is yellow?"

Lily glanced up at the ceiling to see if the downpour had abated. "There was mustard on my fork when I changed it."

_**Aprilshowersmaybringmayflowersbutwhatdomayflowersbring?**_

All in all, it had been a good day. An all right day, a day that was practically mundane, save for the spontaneous Great Hall spring shower, but even that barely registered on Lily's radar; it was just another clever Marauder prank, to be enjoyed and just as quickly forgotten.

It would have been an unremarkable day – if not for what happened at supper.

Even years after that day, Lily would never be able to decide whether the fact that she decided to grab some dinner instead of heading straight to the library, as she had originally planned, had been a blessing or a curse. In reality, it really was a bit of both.

"Lily, pass the ketchup please," Alice said absently as she continued to argue with Frank over the advantages of the Nimbuses versus the Cleansweeps.

Lily grabbed the pot of ketchup, engrossed in her Potions notes – Slughorn's essay might only be due next week, but she really had to finish those demos this weekend, so she decided to get a head start on it.

_Crash_!

The pot of ketchup slipped from Lily's nerveless fingers and smashed into a million pieces against the marble floor. Dazedly, she looked down at the shattered remains of the glass bottle. The red sauce had splattered over Lily's shoes and white socks. With a muttered curse, Lily bent down under the table to gather up the broken glass before someone stepped on it. She never saw it coming.

With an ear splitting groan, the giant twin oak doors that framed the entrance of the Great Hall were ripped from their hinges by something – something huge and terrifying.

There was a moment of silence as the students and staff of Hogwarts stared at the thing, struck dumb with shock and horror, before the Slytherin first years, seated closest to the now ruined doors, started shrilly screaming as they scrambled for their lives.

Their shouts awoke the students from their shocked stupor, and pandemonium erupted. Students shrieked and ran towards the teachers' table at the other side of the hall, while the staff desperately tried to get the students to safety.

Under the table, Lily couldn't see what caused the panic; however, alarmed by the screams of her classmates, she tried to crawl out, only to be accidently kicked as Gryffindors ran for safety, their legendary courage failing in face of such deadly threat. Gasping in pain, Lily fell back, only to slice her right palm open on the broken bottle shards.

Doubly injured, Lily curled up in a tiny ball and waited for the table to be cleared. Once everyone was out, she opened her eyes and ventured a sneak as to what had so terrified the normally fearless Gryffindors. What she saw made her left her completely frozen in absolute horror.

_**Youpoorsweetinnocentthingdryyoureyesandtestify**_

When James saw what had erupted from the double doors, he decided that playing hero would only end up in his precipitated and untimely (not to mention violent, as well as extremely painful) demise. So when all of Hogwarts' students started to hitch their robes up and run for cover, James did not waste anytime joining the throng, only looking back to make sure his friends were right behind him. His wand was out, but for what purpose, he wasn't sure; his 11-inch mahagony was no Deathstick.

The teacher's table was up on a raised dais that allowed the teachers to observe the whole Great Hall without having to get up. Only two narrow stairs framed the three-foot high platform, which were completely congested as teenagers literally pushed each other of the stairs to get up the fastest. After seeing a diminutive second year Ravenclaw knocked to the ground for the second time, James cursed and grabbed her, hefting her over the to the raised portion of the Great Hall. Quickly, the Marauders started boosting the smaller Hogwarts residents over to safety. Once the Hall was cleared, James grabbed Professor Slughorn's outstretched hand and stepped onto the stage-like dais. Professor Flitwick raised his wand, and from his wand erupted a tiny bubble, that soon grew to gigantic proportions and covered the whole lowered portion of the Great Hall in a transparent dome.

"There," said the shaky Professor. "That should hold the beast until we can get some help."

James was about to sigh in relief – until his eyes were drawn to a flash of red under the Gryffindor table; his blood ran cold and his heart turned to ice as he saw that the Hall was not as empty as he had thought it had been.

"Professor," he croaked. "Professor, take it down. Take it down now!"

"What?" said McGonagall, staring at James as if he had run mad; indeed, all within earshot now were looking alarmed and confused at his words. "Contain yourself, Potter! That barrier is the only thing keeping that thing from leaping upon us!"

"There's someone in there!" roared James, pointing at the Gryffindor table.

"Wha – " said McGonagall, but she was interrupted by a blood-curdling shriek.

"Effie! Effie! Oh God, Effie and Paolo are still there! And there's a Mulhollan is with them!" screamed a first year, gesturing to the Hufflepuff table.

Indeed, three students were huddled under the Hufflepuff table, two first years, one sporting a yellow badger patch and the other a blue raven, while farther, the fourth year Slytherin Mulhollan clutched a his leg, his face white with pain and fright.

At that moment, the monster reared on its back legs and let out a triple roar that shook dust loose from the Enchanted Ceiling, which rained down upon the horrified Hogwarts population.

_**EvenindeathourlovegoesonandIcantloveyouanymorethanIdo**_

Lily kept her eyes glued to the gigantic onyx-colored three-headed dog that now growled and pawed the Great Hall, snuffling noisily at the food abandoned on the tables. A Cerberus. Her stunned mind thought for a moment that this was all just a terrible nightmare, that she was not stuck inside the Great Hall alone with a colossal three-headed Hellhound that could swallow her whole –

But just when Lily thought the situation couldn't get worse, the three heads swiveled towards the Hufflepuff table. Lily followed the Cerberus's line of sight, until she caught sight of the crying, trembling first years stuck under the Hufflepuff table. With a nightmare inducing bark, the Cerberus extended out of its heads towards the two hapless children.

Miraculously, the two had the sense to dive out of the way and run as fast as they could towards the Ravenclaw table when they saw the approaching head, as it lunged at the last moment and bit off half the Hufflepuff table. Lily gave a gasp and whine of abject terror as she watched the monster spit the wood back out, fragments of wood as big as her head raining down from their foaming mouths.

Even though the two students where out of the frying pan, they definitively were still firmly in the fire. Lily quickly looked around, cradling her injured hand. She saw James Potter arguing fiercely with the professors, who looked as lost as she had ever seen them. She knew why – she was familiar with this particular charm – it would be impossible to only partially open the bubble, leaving the teachers the only options of taking down the entire charm, which would virtually declare open season on the all students outside the bubble. As she watched McGonagall's tortured expression, she could read the truth in her eyes. As much as it killed her inside, McGonagall would do what any sensible person would do: protect the brunt of her students and leave those trapped in the bubble to God's mercy.

Lily took in a shaky breath and glanced at the cleaved Hufflepuff table. She could see Mulhollan hiding among the wreckage, his usually sour face taunt with fear and pain. His foot was obviously twisted – he would not be able to do anything to protect himself. The Cerberus was slowly approaching the Ravenclaw table, where the two crying first years obviously thought that death had finally come for them after a mere 11 years of live.

Tortured, Lily thought quickly. She couldn't make a run for it, as she was trapped in the bubble – not that she'd make it very far. She was lucky the beast hadn't yet spotted her. Besides, she was advanced enough in magic to be able to save herself – wrap herself in a miniature version of the bubble charm and wait for help to come. She could save herself – but who would save the other three?

Crouched under the Gryffindor table, Lily held her injured hand close to her body and gripped her wand tightly in the other, her brain scrambling for a spell – any spell – that was powerful enough to penetrate the Cerberus's thick skin. Nothing came it mind. Nothing except…

_Cerberuses are famously prone to sleepiness when music is played in their presence. Playing an instrument or singing work quite well…_

"_Says the singing pop superstar who'd have the beast in Lalaland in a matter of seconds!"_

And right there, Lily knew what she had to do. It might not work. The animal might just snap her up like an appetizer and move on to the other three – but Lily had to try. Suddenly, it felt like her singing talents – that she had almost always taken a bit for granted – were actually a gift from Merlin, God, whomever – and that were given to her to use right now, then and there. Quivering, Lily dropped her wand and slowly emerged from under the table.

_**nowIwilltellyouwhatIvedoneforyou50000tearsIvecried**_

"So what?" thundered James, white as a sheet. "We just leave them there? We have to do something! It'll be a bloodbath!"

Effie's friends buried her face in her hands and started bawling. Alice fell to her knees while Aisha could only stand there, rooted to the floor, her eyes glued to Lily, desperately praying for a miracle.

McGonagall swallowed painfully, but forced herself to look straight into James desperate hazel eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, children…" her voice quavered as she looked at Alice, who was already gasping for breathe, panic in her eyes. Frank knelt next to her and hugged her tight, as if the strength in his arms could keep her heart from going to pieces. "… there is nothing we can do. Word has been sent out to the Ministry, and teams should arrive soon – until then, there is nowhere for us to go, and to take the barrier down – "

Professor Burns took up, her voice expressionless as she stared at the Cerberus rampaging through the hall. " – We wouldn't stand a chance. We're trapped in this room – the doors behind the teacher's tables are dead ends. That thing would leap upon us, and then it'll be a _real_ bloodbath." Whimpers of terror erupted from the crowd of huddled students. "It's us or them, Mr. Potter. Majority rule."

In that moment, James Potter developed not just an extreme dislike, but an outright hatred for the Defense of the Dark Arts Professor. He opened his mouth – to say what, he didn't know – when he was cut short by Aisha's gasp of "No! Lily, no! Stop! No no no no –"

James and all of Hogwarts turned towards the scene unfurling before them. They could hear the snarls of the three-headed beast – and see a shaking, diminutive wandless redhead slowly crawl out from under the Gryffindor table, right hand dripping blood. As Hogwarts watched on, she slowly took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

!!#&(

_I'm so tired of being here_

_Suppressed by all my childish fears_

_And if you have to leave_

_I wish that you would just leave_

_'Cause your presence still lingers here_

_And it won't leave me alone_

Though Lily sang low, her shaking voice echoed around all corners of the Great Hall. _I always thought the place had great acoustics_, she thought dimly. The giant canine froze, his haunches still hackled, but it had stopped growling and sniffing at the two terrified children hiding under the Ravenclaw table. Encouraged, Lily closed her eyes and let the melody wash over her.

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

Aisha had clapped her hands over her mouth. Alice stood up slowly, eyes never leaving the Cerberus. The two girls clasped hands, trepidation and dread running through their veins.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me_

"Bloody Hell," whispered Buttercup. "Merlin. Is that – ?"

The population of Hogwarts could only watch, transfixed, as the 6th year closed her eyes and started singing in earnest, her heartbreaking voice bewitching the dog, as all three of its heads turned in her direction.

_You used to captivate me_

_By your resonating light_

_Now I'm bound by the life you left behind_

_Your face it haunts_

_My once pleasant dreams_

_Your voice it chased away_

_All the sanity in me_

Lily lost herself to the song. She imagined that the rumbled emanating from the dog's throats was nothing but the dull roar of the crowd, that the dilapidated Great Hall was a concert venue, and that the castle walls were her audience. Her eyes remained closed, and she swayed to the melody, thinking to herself, _There are worse ways to die. At least I'm dying doing something I love._

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

Effie and Paolo wiped their tear stained cheeks, feeling tentative hope bloom in their hearts as the saw the creature turn away from them and lower its rump to the ground. To their shock, they watched as its wag started to wag slowly.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me_

Mulhollan loosened his hold on his injured foot, his pain momentarily forgotten as he watched the Gryffindor girl – _Flora Hyacinthus_ – enchant the thing to sleep. Its eyes were drooping, and it had stopped growling. Maybe he wouldn't die today after all.

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone_

_But though you're still with me_

_I've been alone all along_

Lily did not falter in her song, not even when the Front Hall doors crashed open, and a battalion of agents from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, and the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures streamed into the hall.

She did not tear her bright green eyes from the still form of the Cerberus, who had just lowered its giant three heads to the ground, lying on its front paws. It was whining softly, its wagging tail threatening to knock over what remained of the Hufflepuff table.

Lily did not blink when the Ministry agents and Aurors circled the bubble, wands at the ready should the beast wake up. Lily only had eyes and heart to her task, singing only to her canine audience.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me_

As the last note died from her lips, Lily mused that she had never been happier at having put her audience to sleep.

Lily looked around for a split second, still humming to tune to keep the Cerberus asleep. Her eyes landed on a particular Auror, his silhouette slightly blurry as she stared at him through the barrier. He motioned to her to keep singing, and Lily acknowledged him with a slight nod.

Lily sat down, curled herself into a ball, took a deep breath, and started once more.

_Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside._

_Lithium, don't want to forget how it feels without..._

_Lithium, I want to stay in love with my sorrow._

_Oh, but God, I want to let it go._

Lily had closed her eyes once more, barely noticing that Professor Flitwick had lowered his wand and that the protective charm had been lowered. Instead, much to James Potter's disgruntlement, the bubble charm was immediately reapplied to the crowd of Hogwarts students, encasing them in the protective charm.

_Come to bed, don't make me sleep alone._

_Couldn't hide the emptiness, you let it show._

_Never wanted it to be so cold._

_Just didn't drink enough to say you love me._

The Aurors and agents cautiously approached the slumbering beast as Lily stayed still on the floor. One agent crouched next to Lily and put her hand reassuringly on her shoulder; she kept her wand pointed at the Cerberus.

_I can't hold on to me,_

_Wonder what's wrong with me._

Soon enough, the agents simultaneously cast numerous spells to bind the creature and keep it still. When it started twitching and growling, Lily raised her voice as the agent next to her murmured encouragements.

_Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside._

_Lithium, don't want to forget how it feels without..._

_Lithium, I want to stay in love with my sorrow._

Soon enough, the Cerberus was bound up tight, still knocked out by Lily's dulcet tone. When the agents started to levitate the dog out of the Great Hall, the agent at Lily's side cupped her elbow and helped her get up.

_Don't want to let it lay me down this time._

_Drown my will to fly._

_Here in the darkness I know myself._

_Can't break free until I let it go._

_Let me go._

Lily wobbled but didn't stop singing, even as her hand dripped blood, even as she was lead out of the Hall, preceding the enormous floating beast, even as the Cerberus was put into a magically re-enforced pen.

_Darling, I forgive you after all._

_Anything is better than to be alone._

_And in the end I guess I had to fall._

_Always find my place among the ashes._

"Keep singing," murmured the agent with Lily. "Just a little bit more, to get the pen secure. You're doing great."

Lily nodded wearily, blood loss and exhaustion making her dizzy. The agent rubbed her arm sympathetically.

_I can't hold on to me,_

_Wonder what's wrong with me._

Unbestknown to Lily, while the Hogwarts students were kept from rushing outside by stern faced Aurors, they still congregated out in the Front Hall, murmuring to each other. James shook his head. 'Flor' was the name on everyone's lips. He turned to Alice and Aisha, who were clasping their hands together, arms linked, faces ashen.

"Is it true then?" he asked quietly, his world reeling. "Is she Flor?"

The stricken look on their faces told him all he needed to know.

"Merlin," he muttered, rubbing his face. "Good Bloody Lord."

Alice wavered, and then reached out and grabbed James' hand. "She couldn't tell you, you know?" she said, eyes pleading. "She wanted to, but, but she couldn't. It's – it's her life. I mean, it's complicated."

James nodded slowly, then glanced at his fellow Marauders. He understood the complications that came about with secret double lives.

"She going to be alright?" he asked wearily.

Alice took a nervous look around the room. It seemed that all the onlookers had reached James conclusion. "I suppose she will," said Alice. "Eventually. I mean, she always knew this could happen. Just not –" Alice cut herself off, looking torn between hysterical laughter and tears. "Not quite like this."

Aisha muttered, "You think?" and the two giggled guiltily. At James vaguely discomforted expression, Aisha sighed wearily. "Its laugh or have a nervous breakdown, at this point."

A prankster at heart, James ruffled his hair and smiled sardonically. He knew the feeling. It seemed that he and Lily Evans – Flora Hyacinthus – had more things in common than he had thought.

_**Howcanyouseeintomyeyeslikeopendoors**_

_Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside._

_Lithium, don't want to forget how it feels without..._

_Lithium ...stay in love with my sorrow._

_I'm gonna let it go._

As the last note died at Lily's lips, the agent next to the iron pen gave Lily's agent a thumbs up. She nodded back and slipped her hand around Lily's shoulders and squeezed.

"Alright, darling," she said soothingly. "We're good. You were brilliant."

Lily nodded wearily and stayed silent. She jumped when she heard the snarls and barks of the locked Cerberus, brought back to wakefulness by the silence.

"It's all good," said the brown haired agent next to Lily. "It's locked up tight. We'll have some experts examine it, and set it free afterwards, not to worry. Now, some agents need to talk to you about what happened."

Lily looked at her, green eyes wide, looking between the agent next to her, and four intimidating-looking wizards and witches. "This is Bartemius Crouch Sr, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Bob Ogden, the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad; Rosetta McLaggen, Head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes; and Sora Kettleburn, Head of the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

Lily blinked at the last name. "Kettleburn - ?"

The witch smiled lightly. "My brother teaches here – Care of Magical Creatures." Her face darkened as all five of the officials looked at her. "Now, what happened exactly?"

Lily swallowed hard. "W-We were having dinner, and I dropped… I dropped a bottle of ketchup, or mustard, I don't remember… And then we heard a crash. I guess that's when it came in. I didn't see – I was under the table. I cut myself on the glass, and then people started running away, and I was kicked accidently, so I fell again. Once I got out, the-the charm was around the Great Hall, so we couldn't get out. But I was trapped, and some other first years were there too, and a Slytherin. I think he broke his ankle, he couldn't move. And I remembered that… that Cerberuses fall asleep when you play music, but I didn't have anything, but it was going to eat those children…" to her horror, Lily's eyes began to fill with tears and her legs started shaking. "It was going to eat them, so I had to do it. I mean, what else could I do?" Lily sniffled and looked down.

She felt a light hand on her shoulder, and looked up. Bob Ogden smiled affably at her. "You did a very brave thing there, miss. That Cerberus could have really hurt those students if you hadn't stepped in." Lily nodded slowly.

"Your name is…" interrupted Bartemius Crouch, frowning at her.

"Lily Evans, sir," said Lily, taking a deep breath.

"So," he said curtly. "What came upon you to… sing?"

Lily flushed, but kept her head high. "We just studied Cerberuses in class, and I sing. Professionally."

"Professionally?" Bob Ogden asked as a Quick Quotes Quill danced on a pad of floating parchment in front of him.

"Yes, my…" Even while Lily knew that by now, her fellow classmates had to have guessed the truth about her, it still took effort to, after all these years, own up to her double life.

At that moment, Lily felt like crouching to the floor, cover her eyes and pretend to be invisible. All the while growing up, Lily had been a terrible hide and go seek player – she had never quite understood the concept that just because she couldn't see the other children, it didn't mean that they couldn't see her either.

But Lily wasn't five anymore, and she knew that she had already been found. "…my stage name is Flora Hyacinthus."

Rosetta McLaggen pushed her glasses up on her nose excitedly. "Yes, I see the resemblance now. Ingenious of you, to sing it to sleep."

Bartemius Crouch kept frowning. "I hear you've been quite adamant about keeping your real name private, but suddenly, you decide to reveal to the world your… talents as publicly as possible, with you coming out as a savior. Sounds like a publicity stunt to me," he added disdainfully.

Lily turned beet red with outrage. But before she could unleash her usually dormant but scalding redhead temper onto him, a calm, familiar tone sounded behind her.

"I can assure you," said Albus Dumbledore as he strode towards them, his warm and reassuring voice washing over Lily in a rush of relief. "That Miss Evans has absolutely nothing to do with this incident, her career choice aside. She is one of Hogwarts' finest, and would never dream of doing anything to endanger herself or her fellow classmates. Indeed, her record is spotless. Miss Evans should be commended for her bravery and quick thinking tonight," he added, patting Lily on her shoulder as he stood next to her. Lily smiled tremulously at him, forever grateful for his faith in her.

Barty Crouch just frowned, and reiterated. "You'll have to be interrogated, Miss Evans, down at the Ministry of Magic. If you'll come with us – "

"I'm afraid not," cut in Dumbledore smoothly yet firmly. "Miss Evans needs to have her hand looked at, and most of all she needs rest, just like all of my students do. We are all thankful that the Ministry was so quick in response to out hour of need, but since the beast has been apprehended, and now that I am back in residence, I think that the presence of Ministry personnel would only further upset the students. If some representatives could come tomorrow, we would be glad to…"

As the debate between a displeased Crouch and Dumbledore wore on, Lily blinked slowly and turned back towards the cage. The Cerberus was fast asleep, lulled by an agent who had turned on his portable radio and used his wand to make the music echo all around the Hogwarts ground. Lily rolled her eyes and groaned as she recognized _Teardrops on My Guitar_ playing from the station. Miss Collins worked fast.

Lily felt an agent tap her shoulder. She turned, expecting to be questioned once more –

"Excuse me, Miss Flor, ma'am?" said the agent shyly, clutching a piece of parchment. "It's just, well, my wife is just your biggest fan, and she loves all your songs, so I was wondering if you could – "

"Oh," blinked Lily, startled, realizing with a quiver in her stomach that this was the first time in her whole entire career, her whole entire _life_, that she was being addressed by a fan without being dressed up and glamoured within an inch of her life. "Um, sure, alright. Do you have a – thank you. What's her name?"

"Georgie, Miss, and thank you so much, she'll be so pleased – "

"No problem at all. Tell her I appreciate it very much."

Suddenly, all sorts of Ministry employees, having secured the dog, surrounded Lily, digging through their cloaks and robes for paper and ink.

"You don't quite looked like you do on the pictures," said a breathless fan. Realizing her blunder, she blushed and scrambled to apologize. "Not that you don't look gorgeous right now – "

"Oh, let's not fib," quipped Lily. "I'm a fright. Long night, I'm afraid."

"Oh, not at all – " started the witch, but smiled ruefully at Lily's chiding gaze. "Well, perhaps a little bit piqued, is all."

Lily laughed. "I'm sure that's it."

She signed a few more autographs, until Dumbledore, who had finished his conversation with Crouch and the rest of the Head Aurors, ushered her back to his side and led her back to the castle doors.

As they strolled back to the school, she could hear Aurors barking out orders, the metallic chink of the pen as it was slowly levitated off the grounds to be brought to who knows where. She could also hear Professor Flitwick's voice intoning squeakily, "I performed the charm, naturally, but its Professor Burns who must be thanked for her quick thinking…"

Dumbledore turned to her as they walked back.

"Are you alright, Miss Evans?" he asked kindly.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" chirped Lily, forcing cheer into her voice as she clutched her throbbing hand.

Dumbledore didn't dignify that comment with a response.

Lily sighed. "I'll be fine. Eventually. Someday. I'm not going stark raving mad, if that's what you're asking."

"Good to hear," said Dumbledore warmly. "I'm sure these will be trying days, but that's to be expected. If we're all sane of mind and body, that's all we can ask for, isn't it?"

"Absobloodylutely," answered Lily, who was, at that point, feeling the blood loss.

Dumbledore patted her arm sympathetically. "Let's get you to the hospital wing."

Lily was feeling quite fit (and a bit light-headed as well), until, off course, she walked into the Front Hall. Which was full, at that point, with Hogwarts students. Namely all of them.

LALALA

The Front Hall was filled to the brim with all of Hogwarts students, as Ministry staff milled around, questioning them, and in some of the more extreme cases, performing calming charms on the more excitable students. However, after the ordeal, while some girls still played heavily on the melodrama of the whole situation, most of the students all agreed that today had been a grand old adventure, and apart from almost being eaten alive, they'd all had a jolly good time.

The whole Flor being Lily Evans, that mousy 6th year Gryffindor, most students hadn't gotten around to processing quite yet. So when the girl that everyone was talking about entered though the Front Hall doors with the Headmaster, everyone immediately turned to catch another look at the supposed superstar.

Buttercup Tomlinson, for one, could simply not get her head about it. It was just ridiculous. She couldn't be Flor, that tiny, freckled little thing – she'd lived with her for 6 years, for Merlin's sake! She'd have noticed! Besides, she wasn't nearly pretty enough to be Flor.

"Oh, blimey," said Lily weakly as every pair of eyes swung to land on her, just like in one of her more colorful nightmares.

"Oh, bugger it all," whimpered Alice, running her hands through her hair.

"Oh, bollocks," muttered James, his eyes glued to Lily, watching for what she was going to do. Would she turn around and run? Would she exit through a side door? He wouldn't blame her if she did, poor bird.

Lily looked around, her mouth completely dry. She felt their gaze on her, weighing her, sizing her up, judging her even. What were they thinking? Probably asking themselves how such a plain, unassuming creature could ever be Flora Hyacinthus, speculating as to whether she had planned the whole thing out as a publicity stunt, telling themselves that she was nothing but an ugly imposter who was pretending to be Flor, because the real Flora would never be so unglamorous –

Lily snapped herself out of her paranoid daydream. All codswallop, the whole lot of it, she told herself firmly. If they didn't like it, they all could go arse over tit to hell in a hand-basket, and hang them all!

She turned to Dumbledore, who looked at her, eyebrows raised, waiting for her reaction.

Lily looked back at him for a moment, and then said, "Off to the Hospital Wing – I feel like a bit of chocolate, myself. Cheers!"

And with that, Lily Evans tossed her hair back, straightened her shoulders, and strode right through the Front Hall to the grand staircase. People parted as they saw her coming, all wearing the same awed, slightly dazed expression of confusion and disbelief. She smiled as she walked by, her head high and her expression serene. She sailed though them all and climbed the stairs up at a moderate pace, looking as if she hadn't a care in the world. Dumbledore smiled in approval.

Aisha blinked and shook her head. She then turned to the people around her, who were all staring at Lily as she had just sprouted a pair of wings and a tail.

"What are staring at, you tossers!" she yelled out, which, of course, was completely out of character for her. She normally let Alice handle the obscenities. "Twats. Staring like you've never seen a girl before."

"Alright," muttered James with a small smile. "Don't lose your rag."

Aisha shot him a glare as she went to follow Lily. "Prat."

Alice stifled a giggle, looking horrified and gleeful at the same day. "She's had a long day," she chocked out, and patted Frank's arm before running to join Aisha up the stairs.

LALALA

Lily didn't stop until she had reached the Hospital Wing. She didn't look around, she didn't stop even as Ministry officers asked her to wait, to talk to them. She would deal with them all later. Right now, she just wanted her hand to stop hurting, a warm bed and blessed silence.

Madam Pomfrey welcomed her with a soothing pat on the back. "There now, dearie," she murmured. "We'll take care of you, won't we? Let's look at that hand of yours." As the nurse led her to the back of the Hospital Wing to private rooms, Lily passed by an occupied bed. Mulhollan laid there, his foot bandaged, his eyes boring into her. Lily paused. Madam Pomfrey went on ahead to her medicine cabinet, clucking all the way.

The two teenagers stared at each other, the silence thickening. Lily cleared her voice.

"How are the two – "

"The first years?" responded the fourth year in a rush, as uncomfortable in the silence as she was. "They're fine. They were in here for a bit, but they wanted to leave. So did I actually, but…" he gestured at his leg.

Lily nodded shakily. "Um, will you be alright?"

"I'll live," he replied shortly. "Thanks to you."

Lily shifted on her feet, feeling unsettled. She didn't expect anything from a Slytherin, who had made it very clear from the first that they considered her parentage as something to be ashamed of. She was just hankering for a slab of chocolate and a kip, not a scene.

But Mulhollan amazed her by biting off, albeit in a low voice, "Thanks. For what you did. I know you could have let us bite it – it would probably have been better for you. I know… I know no Slytherin would have done that. I wouldn't have, if it had been you out there, and me safe under that table."

Lily only nodded jerkily, feeling that the Slytherin had said his piece and would probably never bring up the subject again, which was fine with her. "You're probably knackered, so I'll leave you to it, then."

They nodded at each other awkwardly, and Lily went to the backrooms to change. She didn't look back.

Lily got what she wanted: after Madam Pomfrey had her change in a pink Hospital nightgown, treated her hand with a stinging blue potion, and fed her hazelnut chocolate, she dimmed the lights and let Lily settle into her comfortable bed. She would rather be in her own bed, but the thought of getting up to cross the whole castle to find her usual bed was as appealing to Lily as dancing across the Great Hall completely starkers. So she just curled up in a ball and tried to let sleep come.

She didn't move when Madam Pomfrey came to check on her, and pretended to be asleep when Alice and Aisha crept into her room 20 minutes later. She loved her friends, and appreciated their support, but right now, Lily didn't feel like talking to anyone. She didn't feel like wiping the tears from her cheeks and force a smile; she didn't feel like making small talk when her last safe haven had fallen; she didn't feel like being strong, but didn't feel like crumbling in front of her friends either, because right now, Lily doubted that she would ever find the pieces of her soul to put back together if she did fall apart.

So she pretended to be asleep as she wept quietly for Mulhollan, trapped in his pain and his hate, for her dead parents, for her sister's utter disappointment at being soul-crushingly normal, for all the Hogwarts students that would have nightmares tonight, but most of all, she cried for herself. Rarely did Lily let herself wallow in self-pity, but she felt like tonight she deserved a bit of a pity party, so she cried for her sister's cold betrayal, for her parent's unwitting abandonment, for her grandparents' closed-mindedness, and for the sad shambles of her identity, real and imagined. She cried for Ric and Lyon too, or rather, for her fickleness at being unable to choose between one or the other, but also for her rotten bad luck to have fallen for not only two blokes, but two blokes with girlfriends. It didn't matter that she was popular, famous or talented: Flor couldn't rustle up herself a boyfriend any more than Lily could.

So Lily cried until she was too exhausted to cry, until she finally fell into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

LALALA

Sigh. It had almost been perfect. So easy, too, to entice the Cerberus out of the Forest and into the Great Hall. Those Hogwarts teachers thought themselves too pretentious by half, and had been caught delightfully off guard by the giant dog.

It would have worked too, but that damn girl's singing had ruined it all. Where had she gotten that idea? It had been so close to working – aim the wand at the ketchup bottle that redhead tart held to make it slip, have her duck under the table to get it and get caught in the panic to be left behind. It was all going according to plan: Flitwick cast the right charm, the girl was at the right place, and would have been Cerberus pate had it not for that stupid bint's idea to sing the damned thing to sleep.

The Dark Lord would be displeased, which would not be pleasant. But at least, Plan B was still in motion, so though Lily Evans and Flora Hyacinthus had narrowly escaped death tonight, her days were still numbered. Very much so.

**A/N: So?? Please tell me what you think. I've been trying very hard to improve my writing style, so I'd love any feedback guys!! Read and Review! Thanks! :)**


	19. Rebirth

A/N_**: Here you go guys! Sorry it's late… I have to read over 1,000 pages of reading material a week for all my classes… And that's in a good week. I'm getting clobbered with work. But I'm doing my best!**_

**Chapter 19: Rebirth**

Lily did nothing. She just sat in her bed and trembled. There was nothing else she could possibly do - all she was capable of was to curl up under her comforter and struggled not to fall apart once more. She had a feeling that if she did again, she was sure that this time, she wouldn't be able to find all the pieces.

So Lily sat there, dreading the breaking dawn, awaiting the moment life would come out of its midnight slumber and resume time once more. What could she do to halt the ticking of the clock and freeze this moment forever, as to never face what the morrow would inevitably bring? No time turner or spell could save her now – the die were cast, the fortune told, her fate sealed. There was nowhere to run, and only her room to hide in – but sooner or later, she'd have to come out. And then what other monsters would she have to vanquish?

The clock ticked by, bringing her closer and closer to the rising sun, bringing her one step further into her new life and out of her old one. She longed to talk to someone, but who would understand? James had seen her duplicity tonight of his own eyes – it was only a matter of hours before Ric would hear of it too. She doubted he would appreciate the irony.

So Lily could only sit there, trembling, waiting for salvation to come rescue her from the hell the morning would bring. Whatever Gods had put Lily through last night's ordeal must have a strange sense of humor, because of all ironies, it was Flor Hyacinthus who would save Lily from having to face her classmates – at least for a day.

"Flor?" Lily heard the muffled voice of her agent through her misery and three blankets. With a start, she dug around her bed to fish out a compact mirror that instead of reflection her pale, drawn out visage, genuflected Miss Collins' tired face.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly. "I heard what happened. I… You're very brave, you know? You should be proud of yourself."

"Yeah, I'm a right hero," muttered Lily. "What's going on? I don't imagine you're contacting me at 3 in the morning for a pep talk."

Miss Collins nodded shortly and ran her hand through her hair. "Things are getting ugly in the States. Remember that girl's suicide? The one her parents are trying to pin on you?"

"Yes, I remember," murmured Lily.

"Well, the media grabbed the story over there and are running with it, and people are getting all stirred up. There's a preliminary hearing in the next couple of days, and even if you technically don't have to go, I'd recommend it. If you don't want to, I und – "

"No," breathed Lily. "No, no, I'll be there. I'll get a portkey in the morning. Dumbledore'll understand. I'll meet you at the office."

"Are you sure – " tried Miss Collins, but Lily didn't give her an opportunity to recant. She snapped the mirror closed and pressed it to her chest. Whatever magnanimous God had thrown her this lifeline, Lily wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Tomorrow morning – really, in just a couple of hours – Lily would escape the inevitable and would put off the inescapable. Even though she knew she would eventually have to face the facts, the thought that that day was not today brought her inexorable relief. At that moment, Lily – who had always thought putting off work that HAD to be done was really a very stupid thing to do – finally understood why so very many of her classmates, Alice included, where utter procrastinators. Even though it made no sense, even if he absence would only aggravate the situation, she felt like she had cheated fate – if only for a day.

_**aflowersfame**_

"Flor."

Lily starred moodily out the oval-shaped window from her plane seat. In guise of answer, she pushed the oversized sunglasses farther up her nose.

"Flora?"

For appearance's sake, she was taking a charter plane from London to Austin, Texas to testify at a preliminary hearing, which would determine whether the case was valid enough to go forward.

"Flora Hyacinthus."

She hadn't left Alice or Aisha a message. Cowardly, she knew, but what was she going to write? _Sorry I painted a huge target on your backs by being your friend, and for running away in the dead of night to let you deal with the gossipmongers and weird looks?_

"Flo – Oh, for Merlin's sake, Lily!"

Lily blinked and turned to a resigned looking Miss Collins. "Are you alright?" She asked with a frown. "If you need to postpone this trip – "

"No," cut in Lily. "I told you, I'm perfectly fine. Don't worry, I won't break down on the stand and go postal. Besides, it was bound to get out anyway. Less stress on me now."

Miss Collins did not answer, but only stare soulfully at her charge. It was obvious that Lily was still digesting last night's events, but at the same time, she knew no amount of badgering could convince Lily to lay out her heart to anybody or anyone.

So they sat it silence while they flew over the Atlantic, as Lily mulled and Miss Collins worried.

_**aflowersfame**_

James scanned the Great Hall. All proof of last night's scare had been scrubbed clean by the Ministry, as if a simple 'Reparo' could fix the fear and confusion that had seeded in every students' heart.

Rumors flew at an alarming rate, with everyone speculating, not about the giant Cerberus, as James had predicted, but mostly about Lily Evans and the undeniable proof that she actually was Flora Hyacinthus. Most people were still in shock. Lily Evans? Evans, the biggest nerd Hogwarts had ever seen since Rowena Ravenclaw herself?

James sat down cautiously next to Remus and Sirius, glancing curiously at the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. The students from those two Houses were eyeing the repaired Great Hall door nervously and were huddled as far as possible from the door, leaving a third of their tables bare as the students scrunched together, looking ready to bolt at the slightest noise.

Sirius shook his head in disgust at the Slytherins. "Cowards," he muttered, before returning to his bacon and kippers.

Not that the Gryffindor table was any different – one edge of the table was suspiciously bare of most students, but not for the same reasons as the other two. No, the reason for the repellence of a certain corner of the table was due to two 6th year students – Alice Carroll and Aishwarya Baduri.

All of the Gryffindors were stealing glances and the two silent girls, gossiping behind their hands, daring one another to go up to interrogate them about their diminutive friend. However, since Baduri's rarely seen but infamous temper seemed to be close to the surface, no one had worked up the nerve to go up to them as of yet.

Until James Potter.

Squaring his shoulders, he asked Peter to keep an eye on his bag before getting up to sit down across from his two classmates.

The whole Gryffindor table fell silent and leaned forward conspicuously to catch the conversation between the three of them.

"Hey," James cleared his throat awkwardly. "Er… Where's Flo – um, Lily?"

"She's not here," answered Aisha stonily.

Alice frowned at her friend and elaborated quietly. "She was gone this morning. We assume she must have left either to the Ministry or to her studio. She needs a bit of a break, I'm afraid."

James nodded slowly, as Aisha glared at him. "What's it to you?" she bit off.

"She _is_ my friend too," he drawled, raising his eyebrow. Aisha snorted and went back to ripping up a piece of toast into tiny pieces.

Alice looked at all the food, a little green. "Are you okay?" James asked, wondering if he Alice would go so far as to cast her crumpets on him in an effort to make him go away.

"Yeah," she mumbled. "Just feeling a little off today, is all."

James sighed a ruffled his hair. "Fine, then. Will – will you just tell me if you get word of her?" Aisha didn't look up, but Alice nodded to him, still a little pale. With a murmured goodbye, James went back to his seat and looked into his bag. "Blast," he murmured. "I left my essay in out dorm. I'll be right back." So with that, James sprinted back to the Fat Lady. After climbing three floors, taking four shortcuts and gasping to her the password, he climbed in – only to freeze in his tracks.

"Buttercup?"

_**aflowersfame**_

Lily strode from the plane, oblivious to the cameras and reporters. Dressed in a tan trench coat, her huge sunglasses perched on her nose and her long red hair unbound, she pressed on as people screamed questions and inquiries. Miss Collins tried to wave them away, asserting, "No Comment! No Comment!"

Halfway to the car that would take her to her suite, Lily paused as she heard a reporter scream, "Flora, are you embarrassed of the fact that your music ended someone's life?"

She hated the feeling that she was running away from them, as if she had anything to be ashamed of – and suddenly felt a rush of self-righteous anger. She had nothing to hide anymore. She did what she did because she loved it, and because it was her job, her profession, the same as what anybody did going to an office everyday. Instead of writing TPS reports, she wrote songs, and instead of exhibiting her ideas to a committee, she presented them to audience of thousands. She wasn't any different than anyone else, and she wasn't going to scurry away to her five-star room with her tail between her legs.

Rotating to a 180, much to the surprise of the journalists, she whipped her sunglasses off her face, she stared them down coldly. The reporters grew silent, thrusting their mics in her face.

Blinking slowly, Lily snapped, "I have nothing to be ashamed of, nor do I regret writing that song. I'm deeply sorry for the tragedy that befell the Parsons family, but I'll have my say in court tomorrow." And with that, she turned around once more and climbed into her waiting car.

Miss Collins hopped in after her, and instead of launching into a tirade about how one should NEVER talk to reporters, she remained silent and just regarded Lily speculatively.

Lily squirmed in her seat, starting to regret her impetuous behavior. Was Miss Collins so disappointed in her that she wouldn't deign speak to her?

But to her amazement, Miss Collins started to chuckle quietly. She beamed at Lily like a pleased mother. "I'm proud of you," she murmured when her amusement tempered down. "Good to see you back. Melancholy doesn't suit you."

Lily grinned at her. "You might come to regret that after I let my caustic tongue loose tomorrow."

But Miss Collins only shook her head. "Just speak you piece," she murmured, settling in to her seat and closing your eyes. "You've earned it."

_**aflowersfame**_

"Buttercup? Wh – What are you doing?"

Buttercup jumped as she heard her boyfriend call her name. Her face heated as she flew around, which was not helped by the heavy cloak she wore. Her trunk fell to the ground as her concentration broke, making a thump that although was loud, was not quite noisy enough to fill the silence that had settled in the common room.

"Um…" she hedged, fidgeting with her ruby red cloak. James did not fail to notice that she wasn't dressed in her school robes and uniform.

"Where are you going, Buttercup?" asked James, eyes tight and voice low.

Buttercup sighed. She had hoped to avoid such a scene, but as fate would have it, she was going to have to do it.

"I'm leaving," she said quietly.

"I've noticed that," he answered smarmily. "Where are you going?"

"Home. I'm going home."

"Why?" frowned James. "For how long? I mean, is everyone okay? When are you coming back?"

"Yes, everyone is fine." Buttercup bit her lower lip and took the plunge. "I'm not coming back."

James face became blank, wiped clean of any emotions.

"After what happened yesterday, my father contacted me and we… agreed that Hogwarts isn't safe anymore. England isn't safe anymore. So… we're leaving."

"What?" exploded James, his face becoming tomato red. "Hogwarts is the safest place in the world!"

"Really?" spat Buttercup, whose embarrassment turned into anger. "I'm sure your little friend _Flor_ doesn't think so! Oh, excuse me, I meant Lily. Lily Evans." Buttercup snorted in disgust. "I still can't believe _that_."

James pointed his finger at her. "First of all, I never knew anything about that, alright? And yesterday was –was… Oh, bollocks, I don't know what the hell yesterday was about, but Dumbledore came back to Hogwarts, and they've beefed up security! Don't use that sorry excuse on me!"

"Fine!" yelled Buttercup. "Fine! You want the truth? Here it is! My family is leaving because if you haven't noticed, there is a war out there. People are disappearing. No one can, or will explain it. You-Know-Who is out there! And because of my stupid, god-forsaken cousin married a muggle, we've been _marked_. God, what an idiot," whimpered Buttercup. "So now we have to go before they come after us."

"So why don't you fight?" James said, clenching his fists. "Instead of running away, why don't you stand up to them and fight for those that can't run away?"

"I'm not dying for any stupid muggles!" cried Buttercup.

An ugly pregnant silence fell upon the common room once more.

Buttercup sighed. "Nothing against them," she mumbled. "But this fight isn't… worth the risk. We're leaving. Until – "

"Until what?" cut in James harshly, his face red and twitching from trying to keep his emotions in check. "Until this all blows over? Evil doesn't blow over, Buttercup! God ever knows how you ended up in Gryffindor. But I suppose fighting for what's right and just is too much – "

"What?" cut in Buttercup impatiently, eyes watering with anger and frustration. "Fighting for goodness, justice and everything fair and free, is that what this is about? Well, let me tell you, James Potter, just because we have magic, that we can fly and throw clever spells around, doesn't mean that we're superheroes! I'm going. I can't… I can't stay. I won't. Call it cowardice, but getting out of here with my family to survive this storm. And if your think it doesn't take some kind of courage to move away from all you've ever known for the sake of saving your loved ones, then you're wrong. It would be too easy to stay here to die. _Death_ is cowardice! I'm going to live. Maybe someday…" Buttercup looked down and swallowed hard. "… Maybe someday someone will figure out a way to stop… him. But that person isn't me. So I won't pretend any bravery for your sake and stay here to be slaughtered or recruited. Because I may run, but that doesn't mean I'll join them. So I'm going before they get to me."

James' eyes burned. To his dismay, he kind of understood were she was coming from. But the idea to him of running was so repulsive, so foreign, that he found it hard to sympathize, let alone agree.

But still. She was his girlfriend. Or at least, she still was for these last few minutes. He didn't want any harm to come to her. He… He still didn't know how to feel faced with the knowledge that his long-term girlfriend was about to disappear out of his life, possibly forever.

"Come on," he said dully, his shoulders slumping. I'll get you out of this place faster than by thestrals."

Buttercup blinked in confusion. "But don't you have classes?"

James barked out a laugh. As if that had ever stopped him before. "Fuck classes. Let's go."

_**aflowersfame**_

Alice bent over the toilet, retching. Once she was done, she wiped her mouth, sat back in the stall, cradled her head in hands, and started to cry.

_**aflowersfame**_

Lily was curled up on her bed, trying to let the memories of the previous day wash away from her mind like raindrops falling on slick leaves. Unfortunately, the memories were not content with sliding off into oblivion, and continued to torture the sixteen year old, even long after she had sank into tormented dreams.

_**aflowersfame**_

James walked beside Buttercup in silence through the tunnel that lead to Honeydukes' cellar, as her trunk floated obediently behind them.

_**aflowersfame**_

Lily, eyes heavy, sat up in her chair as her hairdresser tamed her red curls into perfection with a makeup artist wiped away all traces of her troubled night, erasing the bags under her eyes with foundation and glitter, as if by magic.

_**aflowersfame**_

James led Buttercup through the empty shop – at almost nine in the morning, it was much too early for the candy store to open. They were undisturbed as James climbed through the window of the back rooms, having learned through experience that the front door was impervious to 'alohomora', which incidentally, was prone to activate to alarm spell set on the store. Thankfully, the windows remained silent as James gave Buttercup a leg up through the opening.

_**aflowersfame**_

Lily arrived early and through the back, and was taken to a luxurious waiting room, where she sat in placid silence, waiting for fate to come and deal her her next hand of cards.

James took Buttercup through the near empty streets towards the Hog's Head, where he knew Buttercup could floo out of Scotland and off to… wherever.

_**aflowersfame**_

Lily was still sitting in silence when she saw the door to the room slowly open. She rose, thinking it was finally time, before she froze at the sight of the person who had come in the room.

_**aflowersfame**_

"I'm sorry, James. I really am. It's just… I'm no match to You-Know-Who."

"You mean Voldemort, don't you?" bit off James. And that's when all hell broke loose.

_**aflowersfame**_

Beatrix Parsons came in the tiny room, closely followed by Cammie Charleston.

"You," breathed Lily as she got up. She narrowed her eyes. "You've got some nerve showing up here."

Cammie sniffed coldly. "Now, bless your heart, darling. Aren't you glad to see me?"

Lily shot her a poisonous look. "I have no idea what it is you think you're doing, but it's only a matter of time before I find it, and when I do, Merlin help you!"

"Now, now," crooned Cammie. "Not in front of the child. Have you no manners?"

Startled, Lily shot a glance at Beatrix, Brianne's little sister… and the blood froze in her veins.

Beatrix Parsons did not look… normal. Her color was washed out, her pupils were dilated, and she stared at Lily blankly, her face devoid of any emotion. Lily would have expected something, anything, really, on her young face, especially due to the fact that she was trying to prosecute her for her sister's death. But Beatrix was as vacant as a fresh canvas, untouched by anger, grief, or resentment.

Lily swallowed hard, and looked back up to Cammie, who was wearing a smug smile. "What did you do to her?" she demanded, feeling dread rise up in her throat like a sick tide.

Cammie sighed, looking amused and resigned at the same time. "Oh, Lily. Your name is Lily, isn't it? Lily Evans? Don't look so surprised, darling. After all … he has ears and eyes everywhere, dear. You should know that by now."

"Who?" Lily whispered. "Whom are you talking about?"

And then Cammie smiled. Even fresh from the horror at facing a giant three-headed dog not even two days before, Lily felt her skin crawl and her hair stand up at the sight. Cammie's smile was the most terrifying thing she had ever seen.

"I think you know who," she answered slowly.

_**aflowersfame**_

Five masked figures apparated in the middle of the street, wearing dark cloaks and brandishing raised wands. James didn't stop to think. He flicked his wand and projected Buttercup's trunk at the figures. It clipped one of them, who cursed and fell to his knees.

"Come on!" screamed James at Buttercup, who remained frozen at the sight of the interlopers. "Run!"

James grabbed Buttercups arm and pulled her as he reached inside his pocket and squeezed a tiny red ball until it glowed. His actions shook Buttercup out of her reverie, and she took off running, but not before charming the water puddles on the grounds to snake into ribbons of waters and attack the masked figures. The water wrapped itself around one of them and covered his face under the mask. He gurgled and clutched his neck.

The two teens ran down the empty streets, dodging spells left and right. The Hog's Head loomed over the horizon, looking impossibly far. As a spell zoomed past his ear, James started wondering whether he would live to see the next day.

_**aflowersfame**_

"So… you're in league with him, aren't you?" Lily clenched her fists. "You're right. I should have known. But why?"

"Why?" drawled Cammie. "Why not? After all, you are – " she stared pacing around the room, ticking off her points on her fingers. "a Mudblood, you promote consorting with the mud people, or Muggles, as you call them, and killing you would be a nice way to properly announce his new era of power." Then, Cammie sighed. "The Cerberus was such a nice touch. Do you know how much trouble it took to get it to Hogwarts undetected? But then, you had to charm it to sleep, coming off as a little bleeding hero." Her smile turned to steel, her eyes cold, hardened with restrained rage. "The Dark Lord was _most_ displeased."

Lily her heart lurch painfully. "The Cerberus? Tha – That was him?"

Cammie rolled her eyes. "Of course it was. Who else would it be? And that beast didn't wander in the Great Hall by itself, you know. It took so much time and effort, and it was supposed to cause unprecedented damage, finally removing that old man from his castle," she spat. "And you ruined it all!"

Her burgundy eyes flashed, her pretty face twisting, turning ugly with hate. But then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her face smoothing over once more.

"But no matter," she said, her voice still a bit tight. Cammie smoothed over the skirt of red suit. "What's done is done. Yesterday is gone, and we must move on." She snapped her fingers suddenly. "Beatrix, come here."

Lily looked at Cammie, alarmed. "Leave her be. This is between you and me. She's just an innocent victim – she's got nothing to do with this."

Cammie shook her head woefully and put her arm around the silent teenager. "Oh, but you are quite wrong, Miss Evans. You see," Cammie let out a theatrical sigh, putting her hand over her heart. "Poor little Beatrix has not been… well, shall we say, since the unfortunate demise of her sister. She has not been eating or sleeping. Everyday she grows more distant from the world… One could even go as far to say that she is suffering from a psychotic break, brought on by extreme distress and grief. So who could blame the poor girl? She didn't know what she was doing. She wasn't in her right mind, after all. Poor Beatrix. It's not her fault. She couldn't help it." As Cammie finished, a wicked smile danced on face.

Lily licked her lips as she felt for her wand in her coat. "What? What couldn't she help? What's not her fault?"

Cammie stepped away from Beatrix, who, for the first time, came to life. Just as Lily came in contact with her wand, the teenage girl reached inside her coat pocket, and pulled out something silver and shiny.

"I suppose you know what that is, being a mudblood and all," quipped Cammie, as Lily stared down the barrel of a gun.

_**aflowersfame**_

James dodged a spell as he pulled Buttercup behind a large rock. They only had seconds before the men caught up with them and…

"Buttercup," he panted. "Make a break for it. I'll hold them off."

"But – "

"Just go!" With that, James pushed Buttercup to her feet as he pulled out some Filibusters and chucked them at their followers, who jumped back, expecting dangerous spells.

James grabbed his chance during the confusion and pumped his legs toward the Hog's Head, catching up with Buttercup easily. Almost, almost – !

He winced in pain as a curse caught the side of his head, causing a gush of blood to spurt out. But James didn't care – he'd had worse in Quidditch. He just had to catch that snitch, make it to the inn, and –

Buttercup flicked her wand towards the door that swung open easily. The two stumbled inside, barely avoiding a few well-placed sparks of magic and death. The spells bounced harmlessly over the door of the inn, which James knew for a fact was well protected against spells, something which had always puzzled James, but right now, he was only extremely grateful for the protection.

But that wouldn't last. The pub was empty, and it was only a matter of time before they broke in.

James rushed to the fireplace as Buttercup charmed all windows and doors locked, drawing the blinds. The sound of spells splattering against the pub's walls was muffled inside, something Buttercup was quite thankful for.

"Fuck," muttered James as he grabbed the pot of Floo Powder. It was almost empty, damn the bartender's miserly soul. Only enough for one.

"You have to go," James muttered.

"What about you?" Buttercup cried. "I can't just leave you here!"

James raised a brow sardonically, still panting. "Isn't that what you were doing anyways?"

"It's not the same!"

"It is. Don't worry, I've got an emergency charm – I pressed it a while ago, when they first showed up out of fucking nowhere – "

"You shouldn't swear."

James shot her a look that made it clear that this was probably not the time to chide him for his language. "I feel the situation warrants me carte blanche to say whatever the hell I want right now."

A dull thump and boom covered them with dust as the pub shook, making them flinch and reminding them of the danger outside – that soon would be inside.

Buttercup's lips trembled. "James," she started.

"Don't," he said roughly, his face taunt and his eyes downcast.

But Buttercup plowed on, knowing that this would probably be the last time she would ever speak to James Potter, and there were some things that needed to be said.

"James, look at me," she said softly. James finally looked up to meet her eyes as they crouched next to the fireplace. "James," she started bluntly. "It wouldn't have worked out. You know it, and I know it." He flinched, but did not interrupt. "Don't think that because I'm leaving we'll never know if this could've worked out. Sooner or later, we would've spit ways. I guess... I guess we look like a good match, popular in school, good looking, from good families… But I always knew that we're as different as night and day. Today proves that. I'm leaving, and you're… you're staying. You're a better person than I am – no, James, don't say anything. And you know I'm right. We weren't meant for each other, and even thought this – this hurts right now – " Tears sprang to Buttercup's eyes but her voice stayed steady. "It would've happened anyways. We're too different – and you have too many secrets – " James recoiled at that. "Don't look so surprised. I've known for quite some time – at least, I think I know, but it doesn't matter. You're too… complicated for me, and I wouldn't have been enough. So – so even though this is goodbye, probably forever, don't mope, okay? Because you need to move on, just like I'll move on. I should tell you to forget about me, but I'm too selfish for that. Let's just remember the good times, kay? It was good while it lasted."

The house shook once more, and they both knew that their time was up. James turned to her and whispered, "I love you."

Buttercup shook her head and smiled sadly as she put her hand on James' cheek. "No, no you don't, just like I don't love you. Not the way it should be. But I will miss you. At least for a bit."

James snorted, his face still pale as he tried. "You sure know how to kick a guy when he's down."

Buttercup grabbed the Floo Powder and threw it in the fire James had just started. "You'll get over it. Who knows," she added slyly, trying to keep all of her emotions inside. She couldn't fall apart right now. "You might even get a nice rebound from that little redhead you've been chatting up." She rolled her eyes. "Always knew that girl was dead jealous of me. Guess she'll make her move once I'm out of the picture."

Buttercup stepped inside and looked at her boyfriend – no, her ex-boyfriend. "Goodbye, James Potter. Merlin help you."

James saw her disappear in the chimney. "Goodbye, Buttercup Tomlinson. Godspeed."

The bright green flames swirled and engulfed his girlfriend – no, his ex-girlfriend – before they flared out, leaving the inn cold and dark.

A crunching sound from behind James snapped him out of his reverie. He turned to face the door that was splintering under the force of the spells aimed at it and gripped his wand tight. He wouldn't go down without a fight. The door exploded open, the men rushed the inn, wands raised – James stupefied the first and stunned the other by beaming him with the chair, but the third go through. James' sight was blinded by lights, roaring voiced echoed in his head, and he remembered thinking, _I'm going to die_, before he threw one last spell and the world went dark.

_**aflowersfame**_

Lily whipped out her wand and pointed it at Cammie.

"Let her go," she said tersely, as beads of sweat gathered on her forehead. "She has nothing to do with this."

"Oh, but she has everything do with this," smirked Cammie. "You've been a thorn in My Lord's side for long enough. Did you think you would escape twice? The Cerberus failed to eliminate you, but I assure you Beatrix here won't miss. The Dark Lord does not… appreciate failure."

"I'm sure you'd know," Lily couldn't stop herself from muttering.

Cammie narrowed her eyes at Lily, who saw her eyes flair menacingly. "So lippy for someone who's about to die," she snarled. "But no matter. I will not fail this time. This death, after all, is so poetic. Killed by the very filth you consorted with! It will teach all witches and wizards the penalty for those who fail to fall in line. It will strike fear in their heart – they will never know where the danger comes from. After all, it could be from someone you never expected… It will let every man, woman and child know that they are not safe from The Dark Lord – anywhere they may be."

Lily felt hope wither and die. What could she do? She couldn't attack Beatrix – she was under the Imperius Curse, and in her own twisted way, Cammie was right. She didn't know what she was doing. Even if she did try to stupefy her, she couldn't mistake what Cammie was clutching from behind her – a wand. Should Beatrix fail to eliminate her, Lily had no doubt Cammie would be more than happy to rectify the situation. If she went for Cammie, on the other hand, she would catch a bullet. What could she do? Was the going to die? Was this really it? Her palms turned sweaty. Maybe she could raise a shield around herself – dissaparate -

"Don't bother trying to put a shield or disappear," cut in Cammie's cold voice. "I've put a dampening spell on this room, especially for all defensive spell. You have no choice but to attack." She bared her teeth in what Lily supposed was meant to resemble a smile. "So, my dear – which will it be?"

Lily didn't move. Cammie kept smiling, as if expecting something to happen momentarily – Lily braced herself –

For nothing. All three women – girls, really, for two of them – remained immobile. Cammie frowned. "What are you waiting for?" she snapped, and for a second Lily thought she was talking to her but she then glanced at Beatrix.

The teenager was trembling, her thin arms shaking as she pointed the gun unsteadily at Lily. Sweat was pouring down from her forehead, and she started panting as tears pooled in her eyes. She let out a whimper.

Cammie narrowed her eyes and spat, "You hate her! She killed your sister. Get rid of her! Shoot her, NOW!"

Lily saw her chance. "Beatrix," she said softly. "Don't. Killing me won't bring her back, and think of your parents – imagine what they'd go through if you had to go to jail."

Beatrix just looked at her, eyes so wide the white was showing all around. At Lily's voice, she started moving her arms towards Cammie, until the gun was pointed at her chest.

Sensing the danger, Cammie wheedled, attempting to wrestle back the control she had lost, "Don't be silly, darling. You won't go to jail – I promise. Now – shoot – her."

Beatrix swayed the gun back towards Lily.

Lily could see Beatrix vacillating, and thought about attacking now, but she thought that making any sudden movements around Beatrix right now. Her arms were now trembling violently, the gun swinging from first Cammie then back to Lily.

Lily murmured to her, "Beatrix, come back. Shake her off – she's only messing with your head."

But in the end, Cammie pointed her wand back at Beatrix and twisted. Beatrix let out a moan. "Kill her! That's an order! Shoot her – NOW!"

With a cry, Beatrix squeezed the trigger.

The bullet flew towards Cammie, her eyes widening in horror – she tried to block the bullet but remembered that she had put a stopper on all defensive spells. She opened her mouth to scream –

She felt pressure on her side. Did she get shot in her arm? Before she knew it, she was projected to the ground and with a cry, hit the carpet. Cammie started patting herself in a panic. Where had she been hit? Where - ?

Beatrix let out a cry and dropped the gun. What had she done? Cammie lifted her head to see –

Lily Evans, Flora Hyacinthus, was bone white, her face having lost all color. She looked down at her stomach, arms trembling, and saw the widening crimson stain spread over her coat. The room was dead silent, unbroken except for Lily's pants echoing in Cammie's ears.

She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe it! That little fool had actually pushed her out of the path of the bullet. She had actually taken a bullet for her! Unbelievable! Cammie climbed to her feet, leaving Lily as she slid to the floor, her face still white and eyes wide with shock.

She ran for the door, flinging it open and throwing herself out of the room. She just had to get away – the shot was bound to bring people running out. She couldn't stay. That silly girl Beatrix – whoever knew she would shake off the Imperius? Now that Cammie wasn't pulling her stings anymore, who knew what the bint would say. Time to book.

Cammie ran for the doors that led to the outside, which was free of the dampening spell that covered the building – the corridor was empty, and there was nothing stopping her from going back to the Dark Lord, this time with good news. Just one step closer – !

For the second time, Cammie felt pressure on her back, projecting her to the ground, and for the second time, she hit the floor. With a wince of pain, she looked behind her – and froze.

There stood Miss Collins, her wand raised her face pale, not with fear or pain, but with rage.

"Get up, you bitch," she hissed, her eyes blazing. "I'm about to teach you to mess with teenage girls. We'll see how good you are against a real woman."

Cammie gripped her wand tightly and sputtered, "My Lord will – "

She was cut off when a spell hit her in the middle of her chest, throwing her against the double doors she had been trying to reach. She gasped in pain and for the first time, felt real fear bloom in her heart like a parasitic weed, chocking the confidence out of her.

Miss Collins smirked. "I'll let you know I've been dueling for over twelve years now. I'm no little girl. You're about to get what's coming to you." And with that, she raised her wand. Cammie's legs shook.

_**aflowersfame**_

It's quiet. Why is it so quiet? She tries to open her eyes – and sees the white ceiling staring back at her. That means she's lying on the floor. Why is she on the floor?

Someone kneels next to her. Something hot and wet hits her cheek. What is it? Why is it raining warm rain inside? She turns her head. That girl… What was her name? Beatrix? Why is she crying? What is she saying? It was so had to focus. Her mouth keeps saying… _I'msorryI'msosorryI'msorry_. Why is she sorry?

She tries to sit up – and feels a knife rip her stomach open. Ah! It hurt! _It hurt so much It burned It felt like hot coals inside her Makeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstop!_

The pain recedes, but not far – the numbing sensation that encases her body is slowly melting, and her stomach is getting warmer and warmer, like a wave coming closer to shore, inevitable and unstoppable. She pants shallowly, trying to think about anything, anything but the pain she had experienced, trying to ignore the warm wetness that is soaking her clothes.

_Why? Why did you push her?_ The crying girl says. _Whywhywhy?_

Why? Good question. Why did she? She had seen the recognition, the life flair back into Beatrix's eyes as she turned the gun on Cammie. One moment she had been holding her wand, the next she had been flying across the room and pushing someone who was probably a Death Eater, for Merlin's sake, to safety.

Why? It was a split decision, made in a flash. But why?

_I… _Cough. Splutter. A line of blood trickles out of the corner of her mouth._ I guess… No one deserves to die like that. And didn't want… her death… on your conscience. Deserves… to go… to Azkaban…not die today._

The crying girl frowns, asks something like Azkaban? But she can't hear. She's beyond it all. She feels it tugging at her, that sweet ignorance, and she wants to go. Anything to never feel that pain again. And she knows it's coming, so she needs to go before it comes back and gets her. But that girl won't leave her. She keeps shaking her! And now other people are coming in, flooding the room. So noisy. One grabs the girl above her – no, leave her be, she wants to say, and her lips move but no sound comes out. _St Mungo's_, some people say, while others say _called 911_. Why can't life just be normal? Why did she even come here? She could be at Hogwarts now. With her friends. But instead she was here, in another country, bleeding all over an ugly carpet with strangers surrounding her.

Someone jostles her. The demon in her stomach wakes up again and starts tearing at her insides until she starts wishing for death so she can never feel such pain again. _ohgod!ithurtsithurtsithurtssomuchjustletmediemakeitstopmakeitallstopstopstop – _

Despite the cries for her to stay awake, she lets her eyes drift closed. _Miss Flor! Flora! Keep your eyes open, Miss! Stay with us! Stay with us…_

_Stay..._

A/N: So?? A little over-dramatic, but I really wanted that element of bad gets worse, to really mess with Lily… Mean but necessary! And poor James. Oh well. Rain before the sun, guys! I will really try to be better at posting. What did you think? Please please please review and let me know! It just takes a tiny bit of your time, but boy, it makes my whole entire day.


	20. Swimming Against the Tide

**A/N: Greetings ducklings! See? See?? See how I love you?! The Author giveth, and sometimes she giveth some more!! You ask and I answered! So here it is – and so soon after the last chap… And being in the middle of midterms. Man, I MUST love you.**

_Chapter 20: Swimming Against the Tide_

"Oww…" moaned Lily. The light burst through her eyelids, temporarily blinding her as she blinked at the ceiling.

"Shh," murmured a voice next to hers. A large warm hand brushed hair out of her face tenderly, the heat emanating from the fingers dragging across her face like hot coals. Lily forced herself to turn towards the sound.

"It's okay," murmured Ric as her stared at her, his deep blue eyes staring at her in concern. Lily noted that there were bags under his eyes and some bandages around his throat.

"Ric?" she croaked. "What are you doing here?" Lily glanced around the unfamiliar surroundings. "Where is here, anyways?" She tried to sit up, but she let off a gasp of pain and fell back.

"Hey, take it easy," warned Ric as he helped her settle into a comfortable position. "You're at St Mungo's. You've been through a tough week. You got shot, after all."

Lily frowned as some memories leached back to her. "Y… Yeah… I remember something about that." She frowned. "If I only got shot, why does it still hurt? Shouldn't I be completely healed by now?"

Ric sighed and resumed brushing his fingers through her head. Lily didn't complain. "The fact of the matter is, that wasn't a normal bullet. It was dipped in some pretty nasty stuff, and reacted quite badly with healing magic. If medi-witches and healers had tried to heal you, you'd probably be dead."

"What happened, then? Did someone find a counter-curse?"

"Nah," Ric shook his head in amazement. "Those muggles got to you first, insisted you be taken to the nearby hospital. They knew what to do – got that thing out of you and patched you up nicely too. A bit barbaric, but considering it all, you're quite lucky. Your manager finally agreed to have you transported back to England to a magical hospital once the spells from the bullet wore off, but it'll still hurt for a bit where your were shot, so you have to take it easy."

Lily nodded, then closed her eyes. "How long have I been under?" she murmured.

"A week or so, they tell me. I think you got shot Aril 3rd, and it's April 9th today. You've actually been in and out of consciousness, but you've been at St. Mungo's for about 3 days now.

Ric smiled lightly and brushed her hair back once more. Lily glanced at him, and asked surreptitiously, "So – what's with your throat?"

"Oh, this?" Ric glanced down at himself. "Yeah, I'm actually a patient here too. Got a bit of a nasty Quidditch injury. Knew one day all those stupid moves would come back to haunt me, eh?"

Lily smiled fondly, her eyes fluttering shut. She was just so tired. "Told you, didn't I?"

Lily then frowned and glanced back at Ric, forcing her eyes open. "Are you… Are you mad? About…"

Ric let his hand slip into Lily's, thinking of her and not of his girlfriend for the first time in quite a while. "What, about how you're not exactly who I thought you were? We all have our secrets. It was a bit of shock, but I've come around to it. You don't owe me anything, so don't even worry about it. Now, you should get a bit more rest. You've got some ways to go, and you need to get better. Sleep. You'll need all your energy to get all the way up to the 7th floor when you go back to Hogwarts, unless you know the shortcut through the Centaur's Tapestry."

"Yeah, I know about that one," Lily said sleepily. "You already told me about it. Will you stay with me?"

"Yes," promised Ric, but when she woke up, he was gone.

_**spellsandjewels**_

Alice was feeling queasy – again. She had so much going on, it was no small wonder why her stomach was doing back flips. She rubbed her belly, willing the flutters gone. She grabbed some toast, wishing for ice cream instead. She munched on the dry bread, dejected.

She finally dropped it, wrinkling her nose. Everything tasted so bitter these days. Aisha was being weird, alternatively being moody and overly aggressive, until even Alice started leaving her be. The blonde teenager flexed her hands, wishing she could go visit Lily. Aisha and Alice had begged and groveled, to no avail: Dumbledore was adamant. Not outside trips.

She hoped Lily would come home soon so everything could go back to normal - but she knew there was no such thing as 'normal' anymore.

Alice glimpsed Frank out of the corner of her eye. The 6th year cringed. She really couldn't handle talking to him right now, as he would insist on her telling him exactly what was wrong, and she could hardly afford that kind of breakdown at the breakfast table. Besides, if he knew… Well, some things are best left unknown.

With that cheerful thought, Alice grabbed her bag and hustled out of the Hall, melting away in the crowd. Dejected, Frank watched her disappear. What was with her? He knew people had been hounding her about Flor – or rather, Lily, but didn't she know he wasn't one of them?

Frank stood there awkwardly, his heart thumping to a sickly beat as he thought of the last week. If her actions were any indication, it felt like she was avoiding him, which meant…

He sighed and ruffled his hair, a habit he had picked up from James. He didn't want to think about that stupid wanker either; sod had hared off last Monday to who knows where – been missing for a week.

He supposed he could ask Aisha what was the matter with his girlfriend, but he really didn't want to go talk to her – these days, the Indian princess was a walking billboard for the Hogwarts motto – _Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus._ Her temper had been unleashed upon a number of students that week, and Frank had no desire to be the next. Indeed, right this moment, the fire-breathing female was glowering at every student who dared glance her way. The seats around her were conspicuously empty.

Frank shook his head and shuffled off to Potions. He doubted Aisha would be forthcoming anyways, and maybe Alice he'd be able to corner Alice in the dungeons before class.

_**spellsandjewels**_

"Well, Miss Evans, are you sure you'd like to go? We'd rather keep you in for observation, but we believe you should be well enough to return to school – if that's what you want."

Lily nodded at the nurse as she shrugged on her school robes. Being recalcitrant was what had gotten her into this mess in the first place. "We've got exams in a couple of months – I'll definitively get Ts if I keep lollygagging in bed like this."

Miss Collins was sitting in the chair next to her bed, looking as smug a cat that'd gotten away with eating the canary.

Lily wrinkled her nose at her. "I wonder when you'll wipe that smirk off your face. It's getting obnoxious."

Miss Collins only sighed in contentment. "It's not everyday one gets the opportunity to grind a Death Eater's purist face into the dust. There was barely any left for the Dementors in Azkaban."

At that, Lily's smile faded. "I don't trust Dementors," she murmured. "I don't know if Azkaban was the best place for her, after all."

Miss Collins simply rolled her eyes at her charge. "No, _Dumbledore_ doesn't trust Dementors. That doesn't mean they won't do their job. His opinion is not the end-all be-all truth."

Lily nodded as she finished straightening out her tie. "You're probably right. Oh, by the way – we know that Cammie whatever-her-name-is went to Azkaban, but what about – "

"Beatrix Parsons?" Miss Collins frowned as she remembered all that had happened in the last week while Lily brushed her hair, eyes downcast. "The American police determined that Charleston was an imposter who had taken advantage of the teenager's fragile state – after all, there was no record of that woman anywhere, so they 'suspect' she was using a fake name, which was quite obvious in the first place. Anyways, 'it was the determination of their investigation' that Parsons pulled out a gun after being brainwashed by Charleston and tried to shoot you, but changed her mind at the last minute and the bullet grazed your upper left arm – "

Lily shot her an ironic look, eyebrow raised. "Is that so?" she dripped.

Miss Collins merely shrugged innocently. "What can I say? All medical personnel and the people first on the scene remember seeing you bleeding from your arm, and that you were kept for observation to make sure you had not been traumatized by the experience. After doctors determined you were a little shaken up but generally fine, you were allowed to fly back to England to recuperate."

Lily rolled her eyes, secretly glad that the incident had been minimized instead of blown out of proportion. "Well, thank God for memory charms. And Beatrix?"

"Well, she'll be in a treatment center for a bit, for her own good, and since you declined to press charges – I thought it best – she won't be prosecuted for shooting you, and since Charleston gave her the gun, she won't be charged for bringing a weapon inside the courthouse either. Her family dropped the suit, and they're all in counseling. Apparently, she doesn't remember much of anything since her sister's death, and appears truly regretful of trying to shoot you – not that she remembers any of it."

Lily sat back on her bed, suddenly tired. "It's for the best," she sighed. "Poor Beatrix. I hope she gets all the help she needs and puts it behind her."

Miss Collins sat up, watching Lily like a hawk. "Are you positive you want to go back to school? Because I'm still not convinced you're completely fine. Another few days wouldn't hurt anyone."

Shaking her head, Lily stood up with a toss of her long red hair. "No. No more running away. This whole drama only made it that much harder to come back, now that I've been gone for a week already. Besides – " she added absently as she fluffed her hair in front of the mirror and applied some of her favorite lip balm. " Exams are in barely 6 weeks and Aisha and Alice are probably furious with me. If I don't get back soon, Aisha won't let me borrow her notes."

Miss Collins stood up with a snort, smoothing out the knee-length skirt of her cream-colored suit. "If _I_ had been a celebrity in school, I wouldn't have bothered with exams and notes. You are so damaged, my poor duckling. Your priorities are completely backward."

Lily merely smiled. "That's why you love me."

_**spellsandjewels**_

Aisha hoisted her bag on her shoulder and strode out of the Great Hall, not even bothering to look for Alice.

Since Lily's sudden departure, they had, it seemed, grown apart: their individual problems and worries kept them from finding comfort in each other, until they would both rather be alone to wallow in their misery than be together and pretend to be strong.

As she exited the Great Hall, a voice stopped Aisha dead in her tracks.

"Aishwarya?" a soft voice from behind her sounded. Aisha froze, then stiffened on the stairs as she heard footsteps approaching her.

"Aishwarya," the voice repeated, this time from right behind her. "We need to talk about this. Avoiding the issue won't make it go away."

Harshly, Aisha spat, "There's nothing to talk about. I refuse to entertain such a ludicrous proposal, and I can't believe you would as well." She flushed belatedly, thinking about the double-entendre of her words.

A soft sigh was heard from behind her. "You know that it's not as simple as that," the voice said gently. A warm hand touched her shoulder. "I can understand that the last week has been particularly taxing for you. But we can't put this off for long."

Aisha shook off the comfort offered, reminding herself that no amount of niceties would make this situation any easier to handle. "Save it," she snapped. "I don't have time for this." Telling herself that she wasn't running away, she shrugged the hand off and went up the stairs as quickly as she could short of breaking into a run.

_**spellsandjewels**_

"So, Miss Evans," said Dumbledore brightly. "Ready to get back to classes? You know, Madam Pomfrey has been insisting you stay in the Hospital Wing to recuperate properly. Lemon drop?"

"Er, no thank you," Lily hedged. "But, um, as for staying at the Hospital Wing, I'm really quite alright – I mean, I just spent a week at two different hospitals and besides, I feel perfectly fine now .The spells wore off and the healers were able to patch me up quite nicely, so I'm up to task."

Lily had entered Dumbledore's office by Floo Powder not two minutes before. Hogwarts wasn't normally connected to the Floo Network, but Dumbledore had temporarily opened his fireplace especially for her arrival, for which Lily was grateful. Taking the train would have taken a whole day, and the idea of arriving by Portkey made her head spin.

Dumbledore sat back, folding his hands across his chest, his usually merry face suddenly serious. "As you wish. However, I must warn you: we've had trouble with certain extremists factions as of late, so new security measures have been implemented."

Lily sat up, suddenly alert. "Death Eaters?" she asked, paling.

"No exactly," frowned Dumbledore. "… Snatchers, I believe people have called them. When one speaks the name _Voldemort_, it seems they apparate next to the speaker and… well, suffice to say, students have been warned to avoid saying that particular name off grounds. Inside Hogwarts is a different story, naturally."

"Naturally," murmured Lily, wringing her hands.

"But do not worry, my dear. Hogwarts, especially considering last week's - how shall I put it? - break in, has made some adjustments. There is no need to be alarmed."

"About that," asked the redhead, taking a deep breath, trying to block the images of the giant three-headed dog out of her mind. "Did you – find out anything -?"

Dumbledore shook his head, his face dark. "We have not discovered who was responsible for that particular incident, but your manager – Miss Collins, is it? – mentioned that the person who is responsible for attacking you in the United States attributed the Cerberus break in to Lord Voldemort, which does not surprise me."

"But how would he have done it? I mean, what happened?"

"It was the Ministry's conclusion after their investigation that powerful spells were put in place in the Forbidden Forest to lure a Cerberus – several packs do live in the Forest, but most are quite even tempered – out into the hedges of the Forest, where they rarely venture. They prefer, as a rule, to stay deep inside the thicket, at the heart of the Forest. Once sufficiently close enough to the school grounds, the animal was bewitched to go to the front doors and enter the Front Hall, where it followed its nose and – "

"Went into the Great Hall, during dinner," finished Lily. "It was well planned out. Could it be possible that someone from the outside did all of the bewitching?"

Dumbledore frowned, looking fierce and coldly aggravated – an arresting sight from someone usually so merry. "It seems," he rumbled. "That this… person is a resident of Hogwarts. Hagrid has not noticed anyone out of the ordinary, and the Forest reports no strangers in the area."

"An inside job," Lily sighed. It was chilling, knowing that whoever had let a three-headed monster was living in the same place as her.

Dumbledore leaned in across his desk, kindly regarding Lily more like an uncle or a grandfather might rather than a headmaster. "But we'll find whoever did this, so please do not concern yourself. At the risk of repeating myself, are you quite all right, my dear? It has been quite a trying few weeks."

Lily laughed weakly and shrugged. "Nothing that wasn't of my own making," she answered ruefully. "It's really fine, Professor. It'll be a bit strange for a while, but people'll get used to it and – well, I just know everything will be perfectly fine."

In retrospect, Lily still questioned how on Earth she had ever been naïve enough not only to utter that ludicrous statement, let alone actually believe it.

_**spellsandjewels**_

Alice was lying on her bed, having decided to skip today's morning Potion class due to her queasiness. The smells emanating from Slughorn's room were enough for her to lose her breakfast, and possibly her dinner as well – if she hadn't thrown it up at 6 that morning.

The door opened, and someone stepped in. Since the new comer was silent and alone, Alice assumed it wasn't the twins, Tessa and Tara. Maybe it was Fran, or perhaps even Buttercup, though she had been missing for a week or so. No one knew what had happened to her: she hadn't left a note saying where she was going, but all of her things were packed and gone. Either way, Alice didn't have a clue and quite frankly, she didn't really care. She curled up in her bed and buried her face in her pillow, wishing her stomach would settle.

The girl in the room walked over to one of the beds. There was a rustle of clothes, and the muffled sounds of someone walking over the carpet. Alice's bed indented as someone sat next to her on the mattress. Before she could react, a cool hand brushed her hair back from her face.

"Are you okay, baby?" murmured Lily.

Alice sat in a flash to make sure her ears were not deceiving her. They weren't. "Lily!" she breathed. "Oh my god, Lily!" She threw her arms around her friend. "Oh, God, I missed you."

And then, to her horror and Lily's concern, Alice Carroll burst into tears.

_**spellsandjewels**_

An hour later, they were still on the bed, with Lily's arms around Alice as she cried it all out. All of her anxiety about Lily's condition came pouring out, coupled with Aisha's strange new attitude and the news she had received recently. It was just all too much. Being the friend that Lily was, she didn't pry, she didn't question, and simply held Alice through her storm.

Aisha sighed as she climbed all the way up the stairs to the 6th years' dorm room. It was true the rooms got more luxurious and bigger as they got older, but so did the staircase to get there.

Finally, the door of her dormitory loomed ahead. With a sigh of relief, she pushed it open – and her sigh turned to a scream of pure shock and excitement.

"OhmygoshLily!" Abandoning her bag at the door, she joined her friends on the bed. Alice, giggling soggily, joined the group hug. The three friends just held each other, rocking back and forth as they squealed in happiness.

"Oh, Lily," Aisha cried fondly. "I was so worried!"

Lily squeezed her hard. "I'm perfectly fine. The question is, how are you?"

And to Lily's increasing alarm, Aisha dissolved into tears as well, which only upset Alice further, who started crying again.

"Oh my God!" Lily fussed to herself. "What did I miss?"

_**spellsandjewels**_

An hour later, Aisha and Alice had sufficiently calmed down to stop crying, yet they still weren't talking.

"I'm sorry, Lily," Alice sniffled. "I feel much better, but I guess I'm just not ready."

Aisha nodded slowly. "Same here. I'll tell you, I swear, but… I guess I have to process it a little more."

Lily frowned and pouted a bit, but seeing real distress in her friends' eyes, huffed, "Fine!" and fell back on the comforter. Alice and Aisha snuggled up next to her as the redhead interlaced her arms with her friends'. "I won't press. But if you both don't cheer up soon, I'll be forced to hire private investigators and find out for myself."

Alice snuck her a suspicious glance. "You wouldn't."

Lily smirked a self-satisfied grin. "I am filthy rich, my dear. Little perk of being famous. Of course, there are some downsides, like getting shot and marked for death by a crazy wizard, but I suppose the paycheck at the end of the month makes it all worthwhile."

Aisha sniffed. "You really shouldn't joke about such things, Lily."

"I'm not. I'm bloody serious!"

"No you're not. He's downstairs."

Lily and Aisha groaned as Alice's terrible pun while the blonde Gryffindor merely shrugged and smiled.

Lily braced herself and forced the question out. "So… What are people saying?"

"About your sudden departure? Well, it was pretty crazy. People were saying that you were running away because your cover was blown – "

" – That you were a Death Eater in disguise and when your plan to have the Cerberus eat the whole school failed, you disappeared back to your master – "

"Ew!" exclaimed Lily. "As if!"

"Some people thought that you were so scared by the monster you decided to leave school and concentrate on your career." Alice rolled her eyes. "The usual drivel."

"So… How was it… for you?"

Aisha sighed. "People came up to use the first couple of days, but after, er, vigorous discussions – "

"You mean after chewing kids out in the Great Hall during lunch," muttered Alice.

"As I was saying, Alice," snarked Aisha. "I merely explained in forceful terms to nosy busy-bodies that you decided to take a couple of personal days."

Alice sat up. "The Muggle-borns heard from Muggle newspapers that you'd been shot, but no one knew it was by Death Eaters or anything – the Ministry's been tight lipped, just like the government of the United Magical States. The only reason we kind of know what went down was because Dumbledore called us in to tell us about it."

Aisha looked at Lily almost hesitantly. "What happened, Lils? I mean, it sounds crazy."

The petite teenage sighed. "Trust me, it was even crazier than it sounds. Well, the night after the Cerberus broke in, I was so freaked out with everyone… knowing that when Miss Collins called…"

_**spellsandjewels**_

Lily sat and stared at James Potter as he ate with his friends quietly during dinner. Buttercup Tomlinson, it was rumored, had left Hogwarts for good because of the Cerberus attack. Lily wondered what it must feel like to have your girlfriend run out on you.

Alice noticed her stare. She gestured to James. "He's been gone for a week. Actually, now that I think about it, he left the day you did and came back just a couple of days ago. Buttercup left the same day as you did, just like James. Maybe they left together?"

Aisha frowned and shook her head. "Yeah, well why didn't he come back with her? And he was covered in bandages when he came back. He went through something rough, I tell you. Nothing to do with Tomlinson."

"So what," interjected Alice incredulously. "They both left on the same day and mysteriously disappeared at the same time in two completely unrelated incidents? I don't buy it."

Something was bothering Lily tonight – not to mention the fact that tonight was officially the first time she had ever been out in the open since people had found out about her.

_Are you ready, Lily? Asked Alice._

_They were standing at the doors of the front hall, arms twined together, Lily in the middle as Alice and Aisha watched her in worry._

_We could go to the kitchens. No one would know._

_No, she murmured. No. I have to do it sooner or later, right? It'll be fine. I'm not going to get mauled by lions. I'll live._

_The doors opened, and a hush fell over the room as she strode it._

The Great Hall was buzzing quite loudly tonight after it had recovered from the shock of her entry. Lily tried to ignore the thousands of eyes on her. "Oh my God, did you see her?"

"She looks completely normal – not like on the magazines at all."

"She's right there – next to the blonde."

"Did you see her hair?"

"Did you see her eyes?"

Aisha glared at a couple of first years that had been hedging closer to the three girls during dinner. They scuttled away under the wrath of the dark skinned beauty's gaze.

Lily sighed. "Don't. I'm used to it, and they might as well."

Aisha shook her head. "That would only open the floodgates to everyone mobbing you. I –"

Her voice died away as she stared at the Ravenclaw table. She gazed at it with what seemed to be fear, anger and sheer loss.

"Aisha?" murmured Lily. "Are you okay?"

"W-What?" Aisha started, turning to Lily. "Oh, yeah, don't worry – just being a bird, that's all. Um, are you done?" she asked, her tone turning almost pleading.

"Uh, yeah," Lily answered slowly. "We can go if you want."

Aisha, her relieve unabashedly glowing from her face, stood up in a hurry. "Yeah, let's get out of here. Quickly. Alice are you done?" she added in a rush.

Alice was reaching for some ice cream and started saying, "You girl go ahea-" when she noticed someone staring at her from the other side of the Gryffindor table. She went white and grabbed her bag. "Never mind then. Come on, Lily! Let's split."

Before Lily knew it, she was hustled out of the Great Hall, as everyone followed the trio with their eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the famed Flor. However, it seemed two students weren't eying her but the girls next to her. A figure at the Ravenclaw table had stood up and seemed to be watching Aisha as she left. Lily couldn't make out whom it was.

At the Gryffindor table, Frank was on his feet too, a look of such aching and forlornness on his face that Lily had to look away.

As the girls practically ran out of the Hall, Lily realized there was a lot her friends weren't telling her.

_**spellsandjewels**_

The three girls walked slowly up to the stairs to the Centaur's wall hanging as a short cut to the Gryffindor tower.

"Nice catch," said Alice. "I wouldn't have thought to use it."

"Yeah," Lily muttered. "Someone reminded me of it… Can't remember who…"

Three minutes later, they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, who squealed in excitement.

"Ooh, my dear!" she yelped as she caught sight of Lily. "News of you has been all over the portraits! I cannot tell you how jealous the other paintings have been when I told them you were in MY house. Wait till Violet hears of it!"

Alice rolled her eyes and merely answered, "Borderland." As the portrait swung open, Lily heard the Fat Lady trill, "Will you sing sometime for me, dearie?"

The tiny 6th year smiled and climbed through the portrait. Another fan. Better get used to it, she told herself, before a huge noise almost knocked her out.

"She's here!" someone screamed. To her utter shock, the whole Gryffindor House, who were all screaming and shouting, bursting at the seams with pride, greeted Lily.

"Yeah, she's one of ours alright!"

"A Gryffindor Girl!"

"We're the best house!"

"Go Lily!"

"Kept it under wraps for 5 years, eh? Take that, Slytherin and Ravenclaw!"

"Showed that dog last week!"

"Yeah Flora!"

A small radio had been charmed to play all her hits as people came up to her to shake her hand, give her a quick hug, or ask for an autograph. Flushed with pleasure, Lily started signing whatever was coming in handy – hats, handkerchiefs – in ink, with pens, and even a tube of Captivating Cassis LipLuscious lipstick.

It was a turning point for her. Here she was, being feted by the beautiful and popular, the crème of Gryffindor crop, the 7th years and the Quidditch players, the pretty girls and the unattainable boys. Not that she wasn't used to being admired by famous: it was just that Flora Hyacinthus was used to it, but Lily Evans wasn't. It seemed that people weren't just celebrating the fact that she was famous, but rather the fact that nobody had ever EVEN suspected that Flor and Lily were one and the same. It was a foreign feeling, and for the first time, Lily realized that maybe, being known as Flora wasn't going to be _so_ bad.

In the crowd, Lily glimpsed James. At that point, Sirius had sneaked in enough food from the kitchen to really get the party started. Lily managed to extract herself from her well wishers to join him.

"Hey!" James turned around, surprised, before grinning at her.

"You're a star!" He said, a mite redundantly. Lily raised her brow at him before they both turn to see a trio of first year girls, dressed up like Flor, complete with charmed red hair, shrieking in excitement, each one brandishing an autograph as if it was the long-lost Elder Wand.

James sighed theatrically. "I guess I'm not the most popular bloke at Hogwarts anymore."

Lily swatted his arm playfully as "Faded" blasted through the common room. "Thanks for insinuating that I'm a guy!"

James raised his shoulders, his face a picture of bewilderment. "Well, how am I supposed to know? You look just like one!"

Lily pursued her lips and hands akimbo, skewered James with her eyes until he gave in and groveled. "Alright, Alright. You are a very beautiful and much beloved – "

"Don't forget smart and funny."

"- Exceedingly intelligent and unimaginably hilarious shining icon and paragon of womanhood. Ever girl – and possibly some guys – aspire to emulate you in every humanely possible way."

Lily pretended to think about it for a minute as James whimpered, "Am I forgiven?"

"We-ell, I suppose I'll let it slide. This time."

They smiled at each other for a bit, feeling the beat of the music through their shoes. Lily gasped as she saw some bandages peek through at the vee of James' shirt. "Oh my God, are you okay?"

James grimaced and glanced down at his shirt as he buttoned it up so the bandages where completely covered up once more. "Don't worry about it," he muttered. "Just an accident."

"An accident?"

"Yeah, from, um, Quidditch training this weekend. I guess you missed it – being away and all – "

And with that, Lily was reminded in a blinding rush that the last time she had spoken to James, he had known her as Flor, not Lily. How strange. For her it made no difference – she had always known James as James – but for him…

"About that," she began awkwardly. "I'm really so – "

"Don't," he said gently, his hands in his pockets. "It's cool. I mean, we all have our secrets, right?"

Lily thought about him and his three friends, always disappearing at suspicious times, and nodded slowly. "Yeah – yeah, I guess you're right. Still, it must be weird for you…"

James shrugged. "Not really. When I think about it – both of you – Lily and Flor – well, I guess you're really similar. I'm not sure why I didn't notice it before. And besides, like I said, it's not like you owe me anything." With that, he waived at her before melting back into the crowd.

Lily was still waving vaguely back when Alice hoped up besides her. She was holding a bottle of water. The party was in full swing, with people singing along to the music, shuffling exploding snap card decks, dancing and playing Butterbeer drinking games. Someone had put up posters of Flor, all charmed to have the Gryffindor crest sewn on all of her costumes. Lily grinned and waived at herself in the poster, as the Poster-Lily waived back, before disappearing to join another Flor in the neighboring frame. She then turned to her blonde friend. "No Butterbeer?" asked Lily.

"Nah, don't wanna risk it. Who was that hunk, eh? Moving on to Buttercup's territory? When the cat is out, the mice will dance," she added in a sing-song voice.

Lily rolled her eyes. "How did James get hurt? Did you see the Quidditch training session when he got hurt?"

Alice frowned. "Ah, is that what he told you?" Aisha joined them, ribbons and decorations in her hair. "Don't you remember, Lily?" she said, trying to untangle her locks from the stringers. "He hasn't been here all week. Disappeared."

"So where would he been?" Asked the redhead, confused.

"Dunno – actually probably the hospital or something, with all the bandages he had on him."

"The hospital? Which…" Lily trailed off, her voice dying out. She glanced down at her feet, her head spinning.

"Oh, my God," she whispered.

Oblivious to her friends' questioning glances, Lily took off towards the portrait hole, where she had last seen James.

Was it -? It made sense. But so did the other option! With Remus… And Buttercup. There were a million options. It couldn't be… But with what she remembered from before…

She finally got out, climbed out of the Tower, and looked around. She saw a shadow flicker down the stairs, and ran towards them. She finally caught up with James in an empty corridor, as he was halfway down a flight of stairs.

Lily hesitated, before calling out, "Ric?"

And to her utmost dread, James confirmed her hunch, turning around with a mildly interested look on his face before it dissolved into horror as he saw who had called him out by his Quidditch pseudonym.

"Shite," he whispered as he stared into Lily's astonished face, knowing that this time, he had fucked up. Big.

**A/N: So? So?? I know a couple of you saw it coming, but hopefully not all of you!! And if anyone asks, yes, I did plan for this all along. They were always the same person, and I did my best to convey that as well as I could. Well, you guys all knew it was a bit of an AU… But wait! As a bonus, here's some more story! See you next time! Please please please keep me going with some reviews! Thank you!**

Alice shrugged at Aisha, who shook her head, indicating she had no idea what was up with Lily. Alice was about to brush it off and get back to the party (she really needed the escape, if only for an evening. She hadn't seen Frank all evening, which was a boon so far –

One that wouldn't last. She saw him coming, a determined look on his face. Alice gulped nervously. She guessed he'd had enough, and while Frank really was a sweetie most of time, when he put his mind to it, he could slay entire dragons. So Alice did the most logical thing she could think of – she grabbed Aisha's hand and hustled out of the Tower after Lily.

Aisha frowned. "Why did we – "

Alice started pumping her legs. "No time! Run!"

So the two girls flew down the stairs, torn between adrenaline and the fear of getting caught – by Filtch or Frank, Alice wasn't sure. Finally on the 4th floor, they slowed to a stop. Giggling softly, the two girls sled down to the floor and sat there, watching the pale moonlight from the castle windows.

Aisha turned to Alice. "Will you tell me why you're avoiding Frank?"

Alice turned to Aisha. "Will you tell me why you're avoiding that 7th year Ravenclaw?"

Aisha looked away. "Point taken."

Alice curled up in the fetal position. Maybe she shouldn't have run. Her stomach was aching now. "I just have to wrap my mind around it. If I tell someone else, I guess it'd make it – "

"Real," murmured Aisha, rubbing her twinging ankle, still slightly out of breath. "Saying it is like making it become a real problem. Until then…" she dwindled off.

The two girls looked at each other. "I'm sorry," Alice said suddenly.

"For what?"

"For not being there for you. I have stuff going on, but that's no excuse. You must think me a terrible friend."

"If you're a terrible friend," Aisha responded dryly. "Then I'm a horrendous one. I haven't been there either. So I'm sorry too."

Alice gripped Aisha's hand tightly in hers. "We need to be there for each other. Lily too – I mean, today it's a party, tomorrow it'll be a witch hunt. She needs us, and we need each other."

Aisha nodded. "We're in this together, as cheesy as that sounds. So… No more secrets, okay? Tomorrow, we come clean. Our issues won't go away if we run away from them. Look at what it got Lily – a trip to the hospital. So… tomorrow."

Alice nodded, her brow puckering. Her stomach was burning now. "Tomorrow… Ah…" At her hiss of pain, Aisha sat up, looking worried. "Al? You okay?"

"Ah! I don't know – my stomach really hurts – I don't feel so good…"

Aisha scooted closer to pat Alice's shoulder. "It's okay, mami. You'll be fine."

"Don't call me mami," muttered Alice, her face in her lap.

Aisha tried to hoist Alice up. "Come on, let's go back to the dorm, I've got a poti – oh, my God."

"What?" Alice said dazedly.

"Come on," said Aisha urgently. "We have to get Hospital Wing. Now."

"Why…" she asked, before her voice trailed off. "Oh, Merlin," she whispered, catching sight, as Aisha had, of the rivulets of blood running down her thighs and dripping to the floor. Alice took a look at her blood soaked clothes and fell into a dead faint.

"Alice? Alice! Someone, help! Alice! Alice, wake up!"


	21. Falling Up

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Please keep them coming! PS I love to have you guys theorize about the story – some of you are pretty close to the truth! So review please!**

_**Chapter 21: Falling Up**_

"Oh. My. God."

"Lil – Lily, I can explain."

"Oh my God."

"It's not what you think it is!"

"Oh my God! Are you fucking kidding me?!"

James winced at the obscenity. "Lily," he tried coaxing. "Don't – it's, um… Oh, hell."

It was really over now. James knew he should have told her – at the hospital, before dinner, at the party – damn, he should have told her weeks, even months ago.

But it was unforgivable that he hadn't told her since he found out about Lily's second identity, the night of the Cerberus.

James never thought he'd be found out. After all, he was an expert in subterfuge: after six years of outrageous pranks and irate teachers, no one had ever guessed the identity of the students behind the monikers of Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot and Prongs.

The Marauders had been born the moment Remus's 'furry little problem' had brought them together. They grew only closer when in fifth year they had finally mastered Transfiguration.

However, the Marauders had another secret – another clandestine double life, one that James had initiated at the naïve age of thirteen…

_**Twistthetimeturner**_

_A third year James flew up the stairs, blew past the three shortcuts that they had found – the last one was pretty clever, a passageway hidden behind an ugly tapestry of a sour looking Centaur who pawed the ground in annoyance whenever James pushed him roughly aside._

_But today James didn't even notice as he burst into the portrait hole ("Zampaktou!") and nearly crash-landed into his brothers-in-arm._

"_Ihavetotalktoyoublokesnow!"_

_As Peter frowned in confusion, still trying to untangle James' hurried words, Sirius and Remus followed James up to their room. Thankfully, Frank Longbottom wasn't there: he was probably still creeping Alice Carroll, who, to the surprise of all, did not find it dodgy that a thirteen year old boy followed her everywhere she went. Indeed, she referred to it as "sweet". The four boys had already put down bets for the day of the wedding (as they would find out six years later, Remus, much to his surprise, would eventually win)._

_But that was neither here nor there. "Guys," breathed James. "You will never believe this. This. Is. Big."_

_Sirius folded his arms comically. "Bigger than Romulus' furry little problem?" he asked, ignoring Remus' glare at the butchering of his name._

_James paused, scrunching his face. "Um, possibly, yet on a different level."_

"_Bigger than Operation Furry Little Bunnies?"_

_James sighed in annoyance, "Yes, Sirius, bigger than operation "Furry Little Bunnies". And I told you to stop calling it that! It's not like anyone of us is going to turn into rabbits, for Merlin's sake."_

_Sirius leaned over and stage whispered in James' ear. "My money's on Remus."_

_Remus, who had gone back to his book, answered drily, "Except for the fact that I'm not even going to become an animagi, yes, Sirius, I probably will turn into _leporidae lepus_ every full moon."_

_Before Peter could open his mouth, looking confounded, James snapped, "It means bunny rabbit, Pete. But that's not this issue! Will you guys shut up and let me talk?"_

"_No one's stopping you, James."_

"_Thank you, Sirius."_

"_I mean, there's no reason to get angry."_

"_I'm not - !"_

"_Try to calm down, Potter! Don't you know 15 people die every year from shark attacks?"_

"… _What?"_

"_It's true! Not only that, but 1,000 people die from crocodiles, 1,500 from lions, tigers, and leopards, and over 60,000 from snakebites!"_

_James regarded his friend for a moment, trying to recall what had made him sit next to Sirius Black that first day of school on the train._

"_Sirius," the hazel-eyed boy intoned, "You are therefore banned from speaking. If you do, I'll make you kiss Alice Carroll, who'll curse you until your legs fall off before Frank Longbottom stabs you in your sleep. Now, as I was __**trying**__ to say, I have big news."_

_The three boys looked up expectantly at him, as James began._

"_We-ell, you all know that I'm a Chaser for the Gryffindor Team, right? So… Over the summer… I tried out for Puddlemere United."_

"_Wait," hesitated Remus. "Aren't you supposed to be at least 17 to try out?"_

_James rolled his eyes. "Like I'd let that stop me. I just bought a vial of Aging Potion, and tada! Four years later. Anyways, I tried out for Chaser, and I didn't get it."_

_Sirius winced in sympathy._

"_But!" cried James, his cheeks flushing with excitement as he brandished a manila colored piece of parchment, "Today, they wrote me to tell me that I'd be on retainer as alternate Seeker!"_

_His announcement was met with cries of enthusiasm and envy._

"_Wow," whispered Peter, eyes wide. "That's so cool!"_

"_You sly dog you!" Sirius moaned in envy. "Oh, man, that's crazy! You would be that lucky."_

_As usual, Remus retained his intellect. "But… How will that affect your school life?"_

_James shook his head with a grin. "The Quidditch season is in full swing during the summer, when I'm out of school. And all the matches are always on the weekend anyways, so I can easily sneak out for a game when I have to."_

"_But what about the aging potion? Won't that be detected?"_

"_The thing is, I think the coach was in on it… He might've guessed, I suppose, but he probably thinks I'm 15 or 16, just a couple of months shy of 17. Besides, he's petitioned the Ministry three times to lower the age barrier for try-outs, so even if he knows, he won't out me. Oh, man!" he onyx haired teen flopped back on his bed. "This is officially the best moment ever. I'm going to be a Quidditch star!"_

_Sirius grinned excitedly. "And that means we get to go to all the big games with you! Absolutely fab."_

_Peter nodded in agreement, his eyes wide with idolatry. Remus hesitated, caught between his ingrained reticence to participate in something so utterly illegal, and his very teenage nature to relish in the opportunity to participate in something so utterly awesome._

"_So," the sandy haired boy said slowly. "When's the next match?"_

_The four boys smiled at each other, basking in their good fortune._

"_This is going to rock," prophesized James._

_**Twistthetimeturner**_

This is going to be ugly, prophesized James, as he observed Lily's expression. The five foot one redhead had gone pale with shock and anger.

"I can't - ! Oh, how could you!" She screamed, irate.

Backed into a corner, James started spluttering, and in his embarrassment, turned offensive.

"How could I? Excuse me? I'm not the one who turned out to be a frigging pop star! When you were friends with – with both of me!"

Lily gasped. "Oh, that's rich – may I remind you that you were chatting both of us when you already had a girlfriend? I mean, James had a girlfriend! Who knows how many girls Ric had!"

James sneered, smarting over her implication that he had been anything less than faithful. "Don't flatter yourself, _Evans_. As if I'd go out with you."

James thought then he might have gone a bit far, when Lily blinked at him with something akin to hurt, but that thought quickly fled when she spat back, "You arrogant toerag! I'd rather go out with the giant squid than with you and your inflated ego, _Potter_!" She turned around and left, all the while talking to him over her shoulder. "It's a wonder you can fit through the doorframe, you head's so big with your own self importance! At least I have a modicum of modesty!" she shot as her voice faded into the night.

James opened his mouth, ready to pursue her and let her know what he really thought, but stopped. With a heavy sigh, he sat on the steps and buried his head in his hands. What a mess his life had become.

_**Catchthesnitchbeforeitfliesaway**_

"Alice, oh my God!" Aisha sobbed, her hands shaking. She should get he wand out and transport Alice to the Hospital Wing, but her thoughts wouldn't settled. Her hands fumbled for her wand, the words wouldn't come, and everything was blurred – she couldn't breathe –

"Here," said Frank grimly as her knelt next to his girlfriend. His face was bone white, and his shoulders where trembling, but his eyes were dry and hard, and he did not falter when he scooped the unconscious blonde from the ground, not even when blood seeped onto his clothes.

Aisha wept in gratitude as the tall Gryffindor cradled Alice to his chest and jogged down the corridor, bursting into the Hospital Wing, setting Alice down on the bed before crying out hoarsely for Madame Pomfrey.

She came in, clutching a robe to herself, blinking at Frank. "What - ?" She then caught sight of Alice, paled, and shooed them out of the Wing. "Off! Off with you two! And don't bother coming back, because you'll be thrown out – you can come back in the morning. Off to bed!"

And with that, Aisha and Frank were shoved out the Wing and the door was snapped close in their face.

Aisha gasped, sinking to her knees. She didn't stay there for long. Two large hands pulled her up by the shoulders before she was forced to her feet. Frank clutched her shoulders with a force hard enough to bruise. "I've given her space. I've done everything I can. Now what the hell is going on?!"

Aisha sniffled, all of her Gryffindor pride expunged by Alice's sudden illness. "I don't know," she moaned. "She wouldn't say. She hasn't been feeling too good – not eating well – feeling queasy all the time – oh, I don't know!" With that, she started crying in earnest.

Frank simply shook his head, letting her go and backing away.

"I…" he whispered. "I need to… I can't… I can't take this." His voice trailed off, and he turned around and left like a bat out of hell.

Aisha simply curled up on the marble floor, trying to muffle the sounds of her terror.

A comforting presence sat next to her. A hand started stroking her hair. "Aishwarya? Aishwarya, is everything alright?"

"No, no," gasped Aisha. "Everything's wrong. It's all coming apart."

Two arms enveloped her into a warm embrace. "There, there," the voice whispered, as Aisha cried herself out. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you."

And for the first time, Aisha didn't reject the idea. In fact, in the deepest, darkest, most secret part of her heart, she even wished it might be true.

_**Catchthesnitchbeforeitfliesaway**_

When Alice woke up, she immediately knew. Her stomach was hollow, the pain dulled down, but even then, before Madam Pomfrey confirmed it, she knew.

So Alice rolled onto her stomach, rolled herself into the tiniest ball her lanky legs could manage, and ignored the world. She felt Aisha's tremulous worry, could almost hear Lily's frantic anguish, and still she did not open her eyes, not even when they finally gave in and left. No words could fix this, and today, she didn't want to pretend.

Unfortunately, one person was more persistent. He'd never really been aware of her 'personal' space: after all, hadn't he practically stalked her for a year in hopes that she would give in to him? She never should have underestimated his patience – something she had always been in short order of.

After an hour-long Mexican standoff, he said quietly, "I've nowhere to be. I can sit her all day."

Alice, her voice slightly muffled by the covers, answered almost sullenly, "She'll kick you out eventually."

"No. No she won't. Because she knows, doesn't she? She knew before I did." She could hear the hurt in his words, but tried to block it out. With a sigh, she sat up, and looked at him.

"What," she asked wearily. "Are you talking about?"

Frank took a deep breath, and, cheeks red, blurted out, "You're pregnant, aren't you?"

Alice turned white and sucked in a gasp. Her hands clenched under the blankest. He guessed. He guessed, and he would dump her and leave her and it would all be for nothing.

Before Alice could answer, Frank did the most shocking thing she could imagine. He didn't leave her. He didn't break up with her. He got up, and just when Alice thought it was all lost, Frank sat on her bed and pulled her hands into it. He clasped them tightly, his warmth seeping into her frozen digits. She even felt his minute trembling.

"Alice," the tall sixth year breathed. "Marry me."

The blonde girl only stared as her boyfriend kept talking, the words slipping out at an increasingly alarming rate.

"I don't have a ring right now, but I'll write Mum and have her send Grandma Mazur's – you'll like it, it's made platinum dragon scales and blue diamonds from goblin mines. I'll drop out and get a job – maybe even at Hogsmeade so you can go back to school for your seventh year – I could be a teller at Honeydukes or do some seaming for Madam Malkins or even be a server at Madam Puddifoot's even though I hate that place, I'll take whatever's there. I won't leave you alone – and I don't want you to-to give up the baby! I'll take care of the both of you, I promise. I know it's my fault – I-I must've gotten carried away and I'm sorry and I should've been more careful… Just… please – don't leave me. I'll make this right, I promise… so… please don't be mad."

Alice, her eyes wet and her face flushed, stopped him. "Frank… Frank. Stop. Stop. There… is no baby."

Eyes wide, Frank shot her a questioning glance. "S-so, why…?"

Alice swallowed painfully. "I mean… You're right. I used to… But I… I lost it." There, Alice jerked her hands out of his and buried her face in them. She'd lost everything. The baby – Frank – without the baby, he'd probably drop all his pretty promises and leave her for someone prettier and smarter – at least smart enough not to get knocked up, lose the baby and actually feel sad that it didn't make it. It was supposed to be good news, right? The end of the problem that had plagued her for weeks? So why was she crying?

Frank enveloped her in his arms. There, safe and secure, as she'd always felt in his arms, Alice let loose, crying for the death unborn baby, mourning someone she had not even known she loved. Frank comforted her the best way he knew how, by merely holding her and being there for her. As her sobs subsided, Frank settled back more comfortably into the beds, lifting Alice onto his lap as his long legs dangled over the edge of the bed. Alice sighed into him, resting her head underneath his chin.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "So, so sorry."

"I shouldn't cry," the young girl said as her long time boyfriend wiped her tears on his sleeve. "I mean, it kind of solves all our problems, doesn't it?"

Frank shook his head decisively. "No," he answered. "We should be sad. We lost our baby."

His use of the words "we" and "us" nearly set her off again.

Frank rubbed her arm. "My poor baby. Why didn't you tell me? Why'd you avoid me?"

"I… I guess I thought you'd dump me, or try to convince me to get rid of it… I don't know if I could've done that."

His arms tightened around her. "Silly Alice. As if I'd ever leave you. We're in this together. It must've been your hormones running wild – ow! No hitting!"

She rubbed her face into his shirt, taking a deep breath. Even his smell was like a soothing potion.

"Did you mean it?" she whispered. Her hands were shaking as she slipped them around him.

"Of course I did. I love you. I can't imagine my life without you. Even when I was thirteen, I knew. Remember how I followed you around for two years?"

She giggled softly. "Aisha and Lily were so creeped out. They were convinced you would kidnap me or something."

"I probably would've, if you hadn't agreed to go out with me."

"Pervert."

"Only when it comes to you."

She was quiet for a moment. "But would you have left Hogwarts for me and – and the baby? Your mother would've hit the roof."

"Absolutely. I love my mother, but taking care of you really is my priority."

"And… the other part?"

The teenager smiled in his girlfriend's hair. "Yes, I meant it. I told you, I don't think I could function without you. Who would remind me to eat breakfast? Or to take Pepper Up Potion before rainy games?"

"Who would make you study for Arithmancy?" teased Alice, a small smile trembling on her lips.

Frank bent down to peck her on her nose. "So there you go. I mean, I'd hope we could wait for graduation now, but say the word and we're off to Los Vegas. I hear you can get married quickly over there."

Alice rolled her eyes. "It's LAS Vegas, and you're mother would hunt us down and Avada Kedavra us."

"I don't care."

"You're so crazy."

"You make me that way," he whispered in her ear, making her blush.

Alice kept her arms tight around him. "Do you think – tomorrow – we could go outside…? Just the two of us. I mean, when my grandfather died, my mum let go a balloon, so I thought we might… Have a ceremony or something. For him. Or her."

Frank nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, let's do that."

"I love you."

"I know. Ow! Stop pinching me!"

_**Catchthesnitchbeforeitfliesaway**_

"Alice!" cried Lily and Aisha together as they gaped at their best friend. "Oh my God, why didn't you tell us?"

"I can't believe you had to go through that!"

"What did Frank say?"

"Did you tell him?"

"Oh, Alice!" Lily's emerald eyes were watery by now. She threw her arms around her best friend. "I'm so sorry!"

Aisha promptly laced her arms around the both of them. "My poor baby! You should've said something! We would've taken care of you."

Blushing and shaking her head, Alice muttered, "I don't know. I guess… I was ashamed, you know. Didn't want you guys to think I was easy or a tart."

Lily glared at her best friend, who looked at her wearily.

"Is that what you think of us? Some friends we'd be! Honestly, Alice!"

Alice looked towards Aisha for support, who merely pursed her lips and shook her head at the sixth year. "Sometimes, Alice, you are such a _blonde_."

"Oh – well, that was uncalled for," said Alice indignantly.

"No, I'm pretty sure you deserved that."

"Thanks, Aisha. I know I can count on you," answered the blue-eyed girl sarcastically.

"Yeah," answered Aisha softly, clasping her friend's hand tightly. "You can."

Lily nodded, tears in her eyes, her big news about Potter completely forgotten. Besides, she wasn't sure if she wanted to share the news quite yet. It seemed like Alice didn't need any more excitement, poor girl. Lily couldn't even imagine the panic she must've felt when she realized she was pregnant… Or the sadness when she realized she wasn't anymore.

"So… Do you know what happened?" Lily asked softly. Sometimes it was better to talk about it than let it fester.

Alice sighed, her hands tightening on her fellow Gryffindor's. "Madam Pomfrey said that – the, um, fetus wasn't viable, that there was nothing I could do, that it's pretty common in…"

"In young mothers," finished Aisha softly.

"Yeah," finished Alice shakily. A tear leaked out of her eye. "Crazy, right? I didn't even had the baby, and I'm still considered a 'mother'." Her lips trembled.

Lily moved to Alice's bed to lie down next to her like Alice had done when she had been forced into convalescence at the Hospital Wing – Aisha followed suit. They both hugged Alice tightly, letting their strength flow into hers as she cried quietly.

"You'll be a mother again," said Lily quietly. "Just a little bit later in life, that's all."

"Everything happens for a reason," added Aisha.

Alice nodded, wiping her eyes. "Did you know Frank proposed to me?"

"What!"

"OhmyGod, when??"

Lily and Aisha shot up, staring at Alice as she giggled and urged them to lie back down again. "After he guessed what was wrong. I mean, he thought I – I still had the baby, but he proposed, and he said he was going to get me his Grandmother's ring, and he said he'd drop out and get a job at Hogsmeade so I could stay in school. He even said he'd work at Madam Puddifoots, and he hates the place."

"Ooh," squealed Lily. "That is so romantic! And cute! He is such a good guy. I can't believe I thought he was a kidnapping perv. But you have to admit it was pretty freaky, the way he followed you everywhere we went."

"So," Aisha said slyly. "When's the wedding?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly, Aisha. There won't be a wedding." She then smirked and added, "We're eloping to Las Vegas."

Aisha hugged her friend. "You're lucky," she sighed. "Getting to marry the one you love."

They continued talking for a bit, Alice recounting the events that had led her to be in the Hospital Wing, Lily talking about what it felt like, to have her peers watching her everywhere she went.

"Actually," mused Lily. "If I remember well, last night in the Great Hall, there was a Ravenclaw seventh year totally checking you out, Ash. Who was that?"

Aisha hesitated, then remembered her promise to Alice the night before. _Tomorrow_.

"His name is Pushkar Patil.

He's my fiancé."

"WHAT?!"

**A/N: Muahahaha! The cliffhangers! So many of them! Well, I've been doing my very very best to be good and update soon and often, so please acknowledge my hard work with a delicious, delicious review! Thank you!! I'm so sick right now, I feel terrible… I'm only posting because I love you. And for bettaquit, special love for pointing that mistake out… It was the cough medicine!**


	22. Episode 19

_**Chapter 22: Episode 19**_

"…"

"Um."

"…"

_Sigh_. "Will you guys say something?"

"…"

"Honestly, anything."

"…"

"It wasn't my idea!" Aisha finally burst out, her cheeks warm.

Finally, Lily found her voice. "What?! What do you mean? Did – did he propose? Are – oh my God, are you – " her horrified green eyes fell to Aisha's waist, who blushed even more and tossed a pillow at her friend's head.

"Oh my Mer – ew! As if I'd – I'd get close enough to let – let… Oh hell! I'm not pregnant, Lily! Sick!"

"Thanks," said Alice drily.

"No offense," added Aisha quickly. "I just meant… Well, he's not really my fiancé. But my family…"

"Oh no," murmured Lily, her hands covering her mouth. "An arranged marriage?"

Aisha nodded miserably. "Pushkar Patil is from a reputable family from India – like mine. My parents aren't exactly blood purists, but… I guess you could say they're old fashioned."

Alice sat up indignantly. "But you're not going to do it, right?" At Aisha's silence, her frowned deepened. "Right??"

"I don't know what to do!" burst out Aisha. "If I refuse, my grandmother will definitively cut me out, and what she does, the family does. In – in my culture, family is everything, you know? I don't know what I'd do if I was disowned."

Lily, eyes wide, was quick to assuage Aisha. "If you're worried about money, don't worry – I'll take care of you, I swear."

Aisha smiled sadly. "It's not about money – it's about the fact that I'm pretty close to all my cousins, aunts and relatives – even if they can be backwards and vapid at times."

"How long?" asked Alice quietly. "How long have you known?"

"About the possibility that I could end up in an arranged marriage? I mean, I always knew it _could_ happen – I just never thought it _would_, especially not in school. But about my family picking Pushkar? I found out about a month ago."

"A month ago!"

Aisha shrugged awkwardly. "I thought I could get out of it if I tried, but…"

"Have you talked to that Patil bloke about it?"

"Yeah – he's all like, 'We have to accept this task, it is our duty' on me, which is so annoying! I mean, he's a Ravenclaw, I'd thought if anyone could think up of a way out of it, he would, right? But he refuses to try to work with me on this! It's as if…"

"… As if he actually wanted to… to marry you?" asked Lily tentatively. When Aisha started to scoff at the possibility, she answered kindly. "Well, you are a bit of a catch, darling."

Aisha frowned and muttered rebelliously. "It's not as if he's hideous either, he could find a girl if he wanted to." She groaned. "This is so messed up."

Alice shook her head and cradled her face in her hands.

"Are you okay, Al?"

"No!" the blonde burst out. "This is crazy! It's like a frigging soap opera – every day, another episode, another drama! How is that even possible, to have so many things go wrong at the same time? Before you know it, we'll find out that Peter Pettigrew is actually Ludo Bagman in hiding."

Lily thought about Ric and James and muttered, "You have no idea." She sighed.

_**Alinktothepastfromtwilightsshadow**_

"Hey, Evans! Hey!"

It had been a week since Lily had finally uncovered Ric's secret. A week of James lying awake at night, having nightmares of students bursting into the room, shouting, "No way, Potter! Lily Flor is saying downstairs in the common room that YOU'RE actually Ric Lyon!"

He had spent the last week either in a state of extreme paranoia, or brooding melancholy. He missed his girlfriend. He wasn't sure if he missed her specifically or just having someone to hug and kiss and spoil, but nonetheless, it felt weird being by himself.

He'd hooked up with a saucy Hufflepuff who didn't question the whereabouts of his ex-girlfriend, and let him pretend someone actually cared, but even after, he'd felt sad, alone, and vaguely ashamed.

Today, though, a flash of red hair snapped him out of his despondency. For once, she wasn't surrounded by well-wishers, butt-kissers and star-struck teenagers – the perfect opportunity.

"Evans," he greeted as he jogged to reach her.

"Potter," she answered coldly as she kept right on walking, eyes straight.

"So, er – how's it going?"

"Fine."

"Um, classes good?"

Lily stopped abruptly, making James stumble to a stop as well. She turned towards him. "What do you want, Potter?"

"Can't I just say hi – "

"You know that's not what you want, Potter, and you know it. No, Potter, I haven't told anyone your dirty little secret. Yet." She whirled around and started walking once more.

"Hey!" Protested James indignantly. "That's not fair. It's not a 'dirty little secret', alright?"

"You're right. It's a dirty _big_ secret."

James sighed and walked in front of her, blocking off her path. "Look," he started. "I have no idea why you're so mad – " When Lily spluttered, he held up a hand. " – Especially you. It's not like you've been completely forthright, have you?"

Lily flushed, frowning, unable to justify the sense of betrayal she had felt at learning that the two boys she had been torn over for months was actually one and the same. She felt tricked, like a fool who had fallen for a great prank.

"You could have told me," she answered stiffly. "Before I left for the states. When I was at the hospital. Before I guessed!"

James winced. "I get that, and I'm sorry. There just – wasn't a good time for it, you know? And I'm sorry if you feel… let down, I guess."

Lily only huffed. "Whatever," she muttered. "It doesn't even matter. Fine – I won't tell. But – " she turned to him, her eyes dark and serious. "Potter, you have to come out with it. Soon." She swallowed hard. "I don't regret what I did… that night, but I am sorry that people had to find out… like that. It made dealing with it that much harder, like being thrown at the deep end of the pool all of a sudden. So… for your own sanity, I'd recommend coming out of the closet before someone pulls you out." With that, she sighed and turned –

"Wait." James grabbed her elbow, eyes dark and pleading. "What – what is it like? Having people know?"

Lily looked at him, then rolled her eyes, accepting the fact that he wouldn't let her go without an answer. She sat down on the stairs, carefully avoiding the trick step. James followed suit.

"It's strange," she admitted. "I'm not really used to being in the spotlight – I mean, as 'Lily Evans'. So it's been weird adjusting to the fact that people now come up to me when I'm not on stage. It'll be easier for you, though," she added. "I wasn't used to being popular before. I was just myself, and most people didn't know who I was. But your popular, so I don't think the feeling'll be foreign for you."

James nodded slowly. "Are you being treated different?"

Lily pursed her lips. "Yes and no. Now most people come up to me, talk to me, ask for autographs or to listen to their songs, things like that. But actually, a lot of people have gone out of their way to not treat me any differently, you know? Like they're trying to treat me just like before, or just like a normal person. It doesn't really work – you can see they're on eggshells, trying really hard to act normal. But people are coming around to it after a week – I imagine I've given an autograph to everyone here, so now I'll suppose the attention'll die down. I'll just be another popular girl." She shrugged. "Some people have been taking potshots at me – from every house, actually, but turns out I don't really care. You can't please everyone, you know?"

Lily looked at him kindly. "It's true you lose some privacy, but honestly, it's not as bad as it could be. It's in a school, so you might be mobbed in the first few days, but it gets better when people get used to it. So don't get caught with your pants down and just let everyone know." She eyed him speculatively. "Talk to your coach, tell your friends first – trust me on that one, friends don't like being the last to know – and set up a press conference. Your life will be a lot less stressful when you do."

"Evans," said James, a bit miserably. "Will you go out with me?"

Lily froze, her eyes riveted to his face. But then she just let out a breath and answered, not unkindly. "No, Potter. I won't be your rebound girl." She patted his knee awkwardly, and left him on the stairs. James sighed and ruffled his hair.

_**Alinktothepastfromtwilightsshadow**_

"Mm," grunted Brack Lu, head coach of the Puddlemere United Quidditch Team. Honestly, it wasn't a surprise. He'd always known the boy had been young. But thirteen?

That morning, Ric Lyon had come in and confessed to something he'd known ever since he'd seen the boy come in at practice: that Ric Lyon didn't actually exist, and that he wasn't in his twenties as everyone believed.

He remembered like it was yesterday the cold morning he had shown up. Awkward yet cocky, young yet dependable, Lyon had tried out to be a Chaser. Brack knew at once the boy was too young for the position – he still had growing to do before he was strong enough and trusting enough to work with two other players as Chasers. But there was something about the boy…

The Snitch had gone missing at the end of the tryouts – the Seekers who had come out to try their hand at Quidditch had all given up, exhausted and discouraged. Not Lyon. As all the players flew back to ground, he stayed, circling the Pitch, eyes out for the golden little ball. It was getting dark, and while Brack admired the tenacity of the young man, he doubted he'd find the ball. With a shrug, he had gone back into his office to write down his final reviews.

Three hours later, just when Brack was about leave (he'd forgotten all about the boy), he showed up, with a lopsided grin that would have been annoying had he not been clutching the Snitch tightly in his hand. He was tired, dusty, and out of breath, but he had done it. Handing the coach the Snitch silently, he waved at him cheerfully, hopped on his broom, and flew away.

That night, Brack had him on the short list as the next Seeker.

He'd always thought Lyon was young, but he remembered how he felt at 15, ready to take on the world and yet told to wait two more years. So he did not report him. He thought he might have been 16 or so that summer night, instead of the 18 he proclaimed to be – but 13?

"What's your real name?" finally asked Brack.

"Potter. James Potter."

Brack almost groaned. "Potter? Is your father Charlus Potter?"

"… Yes."

"Jesus Christ," muttered Brack, who happened to have a deeply religious mother – much to her dismay, the only Christianity he had picked up from her were her curses. "Charlus Potter's the head of the Auror Department. He'll have my head. So your uncle was Hars Potter, eh? Guess that explains your talent."

Lyon – no, Potter – shrugged miserably. Last year, the acceptance age for Quidditch players had been lowered to 16, so he was technically still allowed to remain on the team, but he had no idea what the repercussions might be for playing illegally for three years.

Brack finally sighed and leaned forward. His chocolate colored skin was slightly flushed as he imagined Charlus Potter cursing him into tomorrow for having his only son play the same game that had claimed his brother's life.

"I have to say, it's a good thing you came forward. If the Ministry had gotten wind of this by any other source, there would've been hell to pay. We're going to contact the Liaison for the Department of Magical Games and Sports, and we'll see what they'll say… I have to ask, though. Does your father know?"

Wordlessly, Ric – no, James – shook his head.

Brack shook his head and muttered, "Should've seen that one coming. God dammit. 'Xcuse my language." He was officially dead – if by some miracle Charlus didn't manage to kill him (which he doubted), his wife, Dorea, would certainly finish him off. The Potters were infamous for their protectiveness of their only son – he'd even heard that they both had kicked up a huge fuss when their 2nd year son decided to join his House Quidditch Team.

Brack sighed once more, got up and threw some powder into the fire. He was about to get his ass handed to him.

_**Alinktothepastfromtwilightsshadow**_

"What!" screamed the wizard, looking horrified and terrorized at the same time. "James Potter? Are you serious! His father's going to go _medieval_! I can't believe this! I-I'm not dealing with this. Charlus Potter finds out I knew about his son playing Suicide-on-a-Stick, he's going to skin me alive. Call someone else." And with that, the Magical Games and Sports employee disappeared from the fire with a pop.

Brack sighed. He'd sighed a lot today. "Well," muttered James. "At least he was less colorful than the other two. The bloke before said he'd 'rather be fed to rabid acromentulas'. Who do we call next?"

Brack shrugged. "According the Magical Games and Sports employee roster, there's still someone named 'Bertha Jorkins' – looks like she's new."

James blanched. "She graduated last year – I remember her. Don't call her! She was Hogwarts' biggest gossip. If we tell her, she'd probably run down to the Auror Department and tell my father herself."

"Guess we have no choice but to call the Head of the Department." And with that, he threw the glittering powder in the fireplace once more, calling, "Hamish MacFarlan!"

After a minute or two, an amiable looking wizard's head appeared. He looked approachable, yet a little rough around the edges. It occurred to James that he might not want to tangle with him in fight.

"Hullo," the wizard said cheerfully. "Ah, Lu! How are you? Doing a fantastic job! Odds are looking good, especially thanks to – there you are, Lyon! Caught your game against the Harpies a while back – the one where you were hit by lightning?" The head chuckled. "Crazy bastard. Made me want to be back on the pitch with my old team, just to be able to give you a go!"

James smiled weakly. "Err, thanks."

"So, what hails?"

Brack took a deep breath and glanced at James. "Actually, we have a bit of a problem."

"Mm," frowned MacFarlan. "What kind of problem? Cheating?"

"No – no, nothing of the kind. It's just – well, it turns out, Lyon isn't exactly – Lyon."

MacFarlan glanced between the two. "Wha – I'm not sure I catch on."

"Lyon joined the team three years ago – except, well he wasn't quite 17 when he did. Or 16."

MacFarlan was surprised then looked at Lyon and sighed. It was a day for sighing. "Oh, Lyon. I never guessed. Well, I won't lie – that might be problematic. How old are you now?"

"16."

"Well, that way we won't have to kick you out of the League until you're of age."

James sighed, a weight raising off his shoulders. "I – I won't be banned from Quidditch, then."

MacFarlan shook his head. "We don't exactly encourage underage wizards to try out, but we at the Department didn't feel like lying about a couple of years warranted being kicked out altogether. Don't get me wrong – there will be repercussions. So you were 13 when you joined, eh? Never saw it!" Despite himself, MacFarlan chuckled. "Don't tell anyone, but you clever boy, you. Merlin knows I would've killed to play Quidditch at 13. What's your name, son? Your real one."

"… James Potter."

The grin on MacFarlan's face froze. He paled. "Say what?"

"… James. Potter."

"A-as in nephew to Hars Potter? As in son of Charlus and Dorea Potter?"

James wordlessly nodded.

A sound that could only be described as a whimper arose from MacFarlan. "Good God, man! Does your old man even know? No, don't say anything! I can tell he doesn't. Oh," he moaned. "This is so bad. He's going to beat me like a bludger."

James only shrugged awkwardly. His father was quite strict, he admitted – and could be intimidating. Problem was, he was used to driving his father up the wall.

Ever since James had been young, he hadn't been interested in staying snug and safe like his parents wanted him to be. At three, he'd been climbing the walls, sliding down the banisters, and trying to get his hands on every item in the Potter Manor that could possibly be life-threatening and/or maiming: At the ripe age of four years and three weeks, he'd managed to send the whole house in an absolute panic when he went missing for over five hours. He'd been found in the Hall chandelier, dangling 10 feet in the air, happily swinging away (it was still unknown to this day how he'd managed to get up there).

His mother had been so overwrought with worry that her son would fall that she (well, James' father swore – his mother had always denied it staunchly) had thrown an entire pot of communication powder in the fireplace and had yelled for her husband so loudly, the whole Auror Department had heard her calling. Evidently, Charlus Potter abandoned the important meeting he'd been in with the Minister to dive into the nearest chimney. At home, he found a hysterical wife (at that point in the story, Dorea would always kick Charlus in the shin, who'd merely grin at her endearingly) and an ecstatic toddler, still riding their ancient chandelier for all the old thing was worth.

A steady levitation spell later, James was back in his mother's arms, puzzled as to why he'd been forced off his magical glittery broom. His four-year-old brain had noted that water was coming out of his mother's eyes, which usually was a bad sign. Why was she sad? He'd asked, which had only made her cry harder.

James knew how important he was to his parents – his father had been 48 when he was born, his mother 46. They didn't look a day over 40, of course – in all of James' memories, neither had changed a bit. His mother had some laugh lines, his father some grey hair, but it was true he often forgot how old they were, and what his birth had meant to them.

They'd been trying for decades (as his father laughingly put it: Dorea always scowled at Charlus at this particular turn of phrase) to have children, so by the time James rolled around, they'd both given up. Dorea would recount the tale as she held her little boy in her lap on the settee in front of the fire, with her husband next to them, with even some of the house-elves listening.

When she'd started feeling sick those hot July mornings, she'd thought she'd eaten something bad, but when it persisted, she'd blamed it on the flu. But instead of losing weight like she always did when she was sick, she'd _gained_ weight, and instead of being disgusted by the mere mention of food, she'd started getting the strangest cravings…

Even by then, she hadn't drawn the right conclusions – she'd actually gone to Saint Mungo's to figure out what was wrong with her. When Dorea found out she was pregnant, she'd first refused to believe the Healer. When showed all the tests and spell results, she'd blinked, started laughing, and then crying. Startled, the Healers had contacted the Auror Department for Charlus Potter, who subsequently abandoned an important meeting (Charlus had always called James his Little Pink Slip, reminding him often that all his shenanigans would one day get him fired for leaving work at odd times in the day) to dive into the nearest chimney for St. Mungo's.

There he'd seen his wife in a hospital gown, in bed, weeping. With great relish, Dorea recounted how Charlus had threatened to "end" the Healer if he didn't tell him exactly what was wrong with his wife. At that point, Dorea blurted out that she was pregnant, Charlus loosened the headlock he'd put the wizard in, hugged his wife, and all was well. (Dorea always liked add that at that point, Charlus had started crying ever harder than she did, but Charlus had always sworn up and down that this was a vicious lie. When James was 10, he had tracked down the Healer who had broken the news to his mother – the one who had felt his father's wrath that day – when he ended up at St. Mungo's with a dragon's tail after a nasty Transfiguration accident when he had 'borrowed' his mother's wand. Once found, James tried to interrogate the Healer as to whether his father had cried or not, but just as the man was about to talk, Charlus appeared in the doorframe and the wizard promptly fainted. James never did find out if his father had shed tears that day).

MacFarlan was still tweaking when James snapped out of his reverie, convinced that his life was about to end.

James just told him, "Let me handle my parents. What's my punishment?"

MacFarlan, sunk into the flames. "Um… Um – Alright. Er: how about a fine? I can't punish Charlus Potter's son, he'd turn me into a cockroach and stomp on me. We'll just fine you three hundred gallons. A hundred gallons a year, eh? Well, send the money in when get have a chance! Don't forget to _not mention my name to your father_ when you tell him, got it? Pretend you **never saw me**." And with that, the head popped out of sight.

James rolled his eyes. Three hundred gallons was nothing, compared to his paycheck and his family's fortune. He'd gotten off easy.

Well, for now. His parents had never raised a wand on him in his life, but this particular bit of news just might prompt them to curse his ears off. James sighed.

It really was a day for sighing.

_**(A/N: No one knows what the name of James' parents were, but some people believe it was Charlus and Dorea Potter. They were figured in the Black Tapestry as Charlus Potter and Dorea Black, and it was noted that they had had only one child: a son. While it is possible they could be distant relatives of James and not his parents, others believe them to be his parents. I like the names, and I think they might be his parents, so they will be in the fic. :)**_

_**Alinktothepastfromtwilightsshadow**_

Aisha stepped out of the Hospital Wing with Lily. It'd been two days since Alice's miscarriage, and she had stayed in the Hospital Wing to fully recover, mentally and physically.

The blonde teenager obviously was still wrestling with her feelings about the turn of events, torn between relief and grief. They'd come to see her right after classes to entertain her and have dinner with her. Finally, at twilight, Madam Pomfrey had kicked them out unceremoniously. With murmured goodbyes, the two girls stepped out. Aisha spotted a wavering shadow from across the Hall.

"Um, go ahead without me, 'kay? I'll be up in a minute."

Lily glanced at her quizzically, then shrugged and continued on her way to the Tower. Maybe Aisha needed to clear her head.

Once her friend was gone, Aisha went up to the darkened figure.

Pushkar Mohinder Patil waited, propped against the wall. He was a handsome boy – well, man now at 17 – with lustrous black hair that curled slightly, warm brown eyes, a cinnamon toned skin and silver eyeglasses that elegantly framed his face. The seventh year Ravenclaw was renown for his brains and his charm: it was no small secret he was quite popular with the girls.

Except, perhaps, with one.

"What do you want, Pushkar?"

"We need to talk about our marriage, you know."

Aisha narrowed her eyes and practically hissed, "Stop talking about it like it's a done deal! I'm telling you, I'll come up with something to stop this. Don't you see? This is crazy! We know nothing about each other!"

"What do you want to know?" Pushkar offered, raising his brow.

Aisha rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Actually, I don't. Listen, we both have to get married someday. What's the problem?"

"The _problem_ is that we don't love each other! We barely even _like_ each other! And I don't have to marry, if you must know. When I get married, I'll do it because I want to, not because I have to."

Pushkar assessed the situation. According to his observation, it was his conclusion that based upon his analysis, the subject – in this particular matter, Aishwarya Baduri – was seemingly reluctant to participate in a hymeneal relationship with the second subject – namely himself, Pushkar Mohinder Patil the third – based upon the Western belief that marital unions were entered due to pre-existing emotions prior to the actual religious and/or governmental ceremony.

This particular theory lead him to conclude that the first subject – renown in her community for being particularly stubborn – would staunchly refute his advances without the Western pre-existing conditions that she had referred to prior in their conversation.

Therefore, it was his scientific duty – as the second subject – to try to persuade the female into entering into such as contract with him by utilizing his male whiles. It sounded quite dry, he realized with a start, and yet it made perfect sense in his Ravenclaw brain. However, experience had taught him that it was not advisable to pursue the female without the element more commonly known as "romance".

With that particular bit or rationalization, Pushkar stepped forwards, grabbed Aisha by her shoulders and molded himself against her. Before she could catch her breath, he had pressed his lips against hers.

Aisha couldn't breathe. His lips were soft yet firm, dry and hot as her eyes fluttered shut. Adrenaline surged in her veins until she felt dizzy and could only feel Pushkar's lips pressing deeply into hers, his hands on her hips, moving them up and down gently. His every touch sent sparks flying all the way up her back, making her hyper sensitive to every place he was touching. He radiated warmth, his breath was intoxicatingly sweet, his touch was gentle yet overpowering. She couldn't push him away as intended, and could only brace herself against him. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

"Is this," he whispered against her lips, making Aisha gasp for air. "What you were talking about? About how you'd get married because you… _wanted_ to?"

His soft suggestion made Aisha's knees buckle. She almost wanted to pull him down for another intoxicating embrace, before she remembered that she was kissing a boy she barely knew in a deserted corridor in her school. Aisha pushed him away, her eyes bright and her breath light.

"I.. I – " she stuttered, before turning away swiftly and running up the stairs.

Pushkar stood there, watching her go. He slowly leaned back against the wall, and let himself slide down to the floor, touching his throbbing lips, a dazed expression on his face. It seemed his analysis had left out a crucial element – how he himself would be affected by her close proximity. Admittedly, it did change things. He sighed, and closed his eyes, trying to commit every last second to memory.

**A/N: Ahh!! First time I ever had wrote in a kiss! I'm so embarrassed! (Hides under covers). How was it? And do you like what I wrote so far about James' parents? Don't forget to review, please! The button's even bigger now~~~! :) Look at how I love you! Such regular updating!!!**


	23. Toasty

**A/N: To my darling, lovely perfect reviewers – thank you. You make this worthwhile, and it is for you that I'm updating more often than ever. You guys are quite literally the best. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. And thanks, **_**bookcrzgirl**_**, for your "piece of burned beyond recognition toast" gem. It's all hers!**

_Chapter 23: Toasty_

"I can't do this!"

"Of course you can," soothed Lily from the couch. James was pacing in the Gryffindor common room, his hair even messier than usual.

It was a nice Saturday morning – so nice, the majority of Hogwarts had left to enjoy the outside sun before the clouds chased it away once more. Unfortunately for James, today was also the day that he would grab a portkey back home and break the news to his parents that he had disobeyed just about every rule they had ever laid down.

He was so dead.

"Oh, God!" James moaned. "My mum's probably going to start crying. I hate it when she does that. I mean, I really hate it. Even more than Father does! He's going to turn me into a piece of burned beyond recognition toast. All I wanted was to live a little! And now my parents are going to Azkaban for murdering me." He turned towards Lily, madness gleaming in his eyes. "When the Ministry finds my tangled and bleeding body buried in the backyard, tell them my mum didn't mean it, alright?"

Sirius, who had been sitting behind James, leapt up, a vague look of triumph on his face. "I've got it, Prongs!" He cried, his face suddenly shining with what appeared to be joy, but could have been rosella, Lily wasn't sure which.

"How about we brew some Polyjuice Potion and send _Peter_ instead? No one'll know, and you know Peter would do anything for you, even get strangled by your mum."

Peter looked scared and excited at the prospect of being murdered by Mrs. Potter, which disturbed Lily at some deep and fundamental level. She reminded herself to limit contact with the Pettigrew boy and his snuff tendencies.

The redhead felt necessary to add at this point, "You are aware that it takes about a month to brew a Polyjuice Potion, right?"

Sirius frowned. "That is a problem." He lit up again. "I know! You could _seduce_ Slughorn into giving you some of his! I heard from Lovegood that he had some stashed in his office. He loves you – if you wiggle around for him a little, he'll give you anything, I know it."

Lily decided not to dignify that suggestion with a response, though Remus made it his duty to inform Sirius of the fact that Xenophilius Lovegood was a pathological liar and more than slightly barmy.

"Nonsense!" answered Sirius. "He told me all about the Crumpled Horned Snorkacks, and there is scientific proof of their existence. You're just deathly jealous of his chuffy necklaces, the ones with the triangle, the circle and the stick. But don't worry, Remus – we still love you."

Remus felt it would be useless to remind Sirius that he was the one who was in love with Xenophilius's strange jewelry.

Sirius frowned. "Mm. We'll have to come up with something else. Maybe- maybe – _wait for it_ – you could just _not tell them_."

His enthusiastic suggestion was met with silence.

"I know! Simple but brilliant – you can just do what you've been doing for the last three years and **not** tell them about you playing Quidditch. Ever."

James looked torn between his principles and his survival instincts, which were currently shrieking at him to immigrate to the Canary Islands and never come back.

Lily shook her head decisively. "No, absolutely not. They'll find out one day, and if you don't tell them – well, they'll really be hell to pay. Take it from someone who knows."

Sirius leapt up. "Aha, madam! I take offense! James is perfectly capable of keeping his identity secret from the rest of the world. Just because you would make a terrible undercover spy doesn't mean James couldn't!" He smiled smugly. "James would make an excellent assassin. Like that Bomb bloke you Muggles are always raving around. Same name too!"

"Oh, sit down, Padfoot," finally let out Lily with an eye roll. "And it's Bond, not Bomb."

The four boys froze, turning to Lily, faces stiff and pale.

She blinked at them, then realized. "Oh! You think I didn't know?" She tilted her head at them. "I guessed you were the Marauders years ago. Honestly, who else could it be?"

Remus stayed silent, his face drawn and grey. His friends glanced at him apprehensively. Lily only smiled kindly and leaned forward to pat his knee. "I figured it out at the end of first year. It's quite alright."

The sandy haired werewolf forced himself to relax. It wasn't everyday one expected to find out a classmate had known your deepest, darkest secret for five years – and didn't judge you for it.

"Erm, thanks for not saying anything?"

Lily grinned. "I'd hardly be in any position to out anyone."

Sirius sat down, his face sober. In his book, anyone who would protect his friends deserved his attention and respect. It was hard to treat Evans as nothing but a famous bird when she'd found out about Remus and the Marauders when no one else had.

But still… Sirius couldn't bear to see anything happen to his friends. As ironic as it may sound, they were, he realized, the most important and serious part of his life.

He'd never been able to shake off the feeling that he had simply been born in the wrong family. They'd never understood him, not even Regulus, whom he had been close to as children.

They'd always been so _serious_ – perhaps that was why they'd called him Sirius. No laughter had rung in the halls, no good-natured pranks had been played, and only a grim oppressing fog of despondency and filial duty had blanketed 12 Grimmauld Place.

That place was twisted, he realized now – and it had only gotten worse as the Dark Lord rose in power. The fanatical gleam in his mother's eyes, once a mere shadow, now shone almost diabolically every time he saw her. The dark places in their house – never his home – had gotten darker, as if light was fleeing the madness locked inside the hidden house.

It was, no doubt, where he had gotten his dark, twisted nature. Oh, as much as he liked to deny it, he knew – Sirius always knew – that the Black madness had not escaped him, only afflicted him in – a different way. He was just as theatrical than the rest of them, but he thanked Merlin everyday that as crazy as he was, he knew he would never be as _evil_ as his family was.

He knew children were supposed to love their parents – especially their mothers. But his father was a coward, and his mother… Safe to say, Sirius Black and his mother were not close.

So when Sirius Black had arrived at the platform 9 ¾, it had been a revelation. He had been alone at the station – summarily dropped off by a distant cousin – when he scanned the crowd, a little lost.

Next to him, he's glimpsed something that had made him pause, and watch almost hungrily.

_A beautiful woman with long black hair bound into a knot was wringed her hands, her face pale. A man with messy black hair and a mustache, probably her husband, had his arm around her waist, rubbing her hip reassuringly as they watched a young boy that bore a striking resemblance to both of them hop around excitedly._

_The mother, quick as lightning, grabbed her son as he came near her and held him close to her chest._

"_Mu-um!" came a muffled protest, but the witch steadfastly ignored his protestations and hugged him tighter. Sirius thought the boy rather looked silly with his mum crying over him, but he knew that if __**his**__ mother came out onto the platform to hug him, he wouldn't complain._

"_Now see here!" the mother cried, thrusting her boy out at arms length as she gripped his shoulders tight. "No more pranks, do you hear me?"_

_The father smiled lightly, as if he already knew that the second his son was out of sight, the counsel would go ignored._

_The 11 year old rolled his eyes dramatically. "Mum," he started, exasperated. _

"_I mean it! No more banister sliding – "_

_At that, Sirius's ears perked up. Maybe the kid wasn't a complete mama's boy._

"_No more Filibusters, playing Quidditch inside, or riding chandeliers!"_

"_Mum!" he hissed. "I was four! I didn't even mean to do that."_

"_And especially," the woman finished with a tiny shake. "No – more – pranking – people, do you understand?"_

_A gleam entered Sirius's eyes._

"_No dying people's hair purple! No giving them dragon tails! No – "_

"_Dorea," interrupted her husband gently. "You're giving him ideas."_

_The lady turned to her son, frowning. The boy did his best to look completely innocent._

"_James," the witch said firmly, addressing Sirius's future best friend. So James was his name, eh? Sirius and James. Nice ring to it, but they'd have to come up with something a tad more dramatic. "No. You be good this time."_

"_Sure, mum," muttered the boy as he was semi-strangled one more time by his mother. There, Sirius shuffled his feet. How did it feel to have your mother love you so much she'd hug you in public? Hug you at all?_

_The father stepped up, ruffling his son's hair as James looked up with a grin. They looked picture perfect, the three of them._

_Sirius was so wrapped up trying to a catch a glimpse of a functional home that he didn't notice the cart that was about to bowl him over until it was too late._

_To his eternal shame, Sirius stumbled, and would have fallen had someone not grabbed his arm at the last second. He straightened, looking at his helper._

_It was the boy called James._

"_Er, thanks, mate," said Sirius, a bit pink._

"_No problem," he answered with a grin. He turned to the man who had pushed Sirius over. "Git!" He bellowed at him._

_Right then, Sirius knew that it was fate. They were destined to be friends._

"_James," said a voice seriously. "Don't swear." The two boys looked up to see James's parents standing over them._

"_Yeah, but he almost knocked…" started James indignantly, before turning to Sirius. "What's your name, mate?"_

"_Er, Sirius. Sirius Black."_

"… _Sirius over!" finished James._

_At his last name, Sirius noticed that the man had stiffened. Sirius's heart sank. Well, he shouldn't be surprised. He didn't really like his family either._

_The woman, Dorea, squatted down next to him. She brushed some dust off of Sirius's uniform._

"_Black, hm? I was a Black too, before I married Charlus. I'm Mrs. Potter nowadays."_

_Sirius looked at her, a little shocked. "So, we'd be – "_

"_Cousins, probably," said the lady gently, now straightening his uniform._

"_Hey!" James nudged Sirius. "We're cousins then!"_

"_Yeah," Sirius smiled. "Yeah, we are."_

"_Haven't met a Black before. You're my first."_

"_Oh, you don't want to. All wankers, every last one."_

"_Aren't they?" said Dorea with a smile, to her son and husband's surprise._

"_Yeah, they are," said Sirius with a tiny smile._

"_Legit," said James seriously._

_Charlus Potter let himself relax._

_With that, Dorea stopped fussing over Sirius. "There you go," she said gently. "You boys are ready. Should start getting on."_

_With a flick of his wand, Charlus transported James' and Sirius' trunks on the train. Once all settled, Dorea knelt down and nearly smothered her son a third time, who didn't protest. Then, to Sirius's eternal shock, she turned to him and hugged him tight too._

"_Now you take care of each other!" said Dorea firmly, though her eyes were a little overbright. "You're family."_

_Sirius had long ago lost all belief in the power of blood bonds, but he felt a tiny bit of it being reawakened as he turned to James, who grinned at him._

_Charlus ruffled both boys' hair. "Be good, the both of you," he said. "Try not to blow up any toilets."_

_They nodded and got on the train, for the first time Sirius feeling like he was part of a family – a real one. As they waved goodbye, James turned to Sirius and said with all seriousness, "My parents confiscated all my Filibusters."_

"_I sneaked some in," reassured Sirius._

"_Brilliant!"_

Lily turned to Sirius, sensing that James needed his support most of all. "Sirius," she began. "Are the Potters the kind of people who'd really give James that much of a hard time?"

Sirius glanced at his friend. All histrionics aside, James really was worried. He loved his parents dearly, and even though he often butt heads with his father, his mother was a different story.

She was as tough nails – after all, she was an Unspeakable, and had been working in the Department of Mysteries since she'd graduated from Hogwarts. His house-elves likes to remind James that before he'd come along, his mother had been a strong, independent woman, who had never been prone to tears, worrying, or fretting.

Well, she was still that strong, independent woman, who wasn't prone to tears, worrying or fretting… except when it came to her son.

James sat down heavily. "I'm not too worried about… my dad. We've been clashing for years, especially when I joined the Quidditch team. I can handle him. It's my mum I'm worried about. If she asks me to quit… I… I don't know if I could say no."

Silence settled in the Common Room. Sirius squirmed in his seat. "Er… Want me to come with you?"

James shook his head. "Nah. No, I've got to do this. Lily's right. I have to get ahead and tell them now."

Lily smiled at him. "Don't worry, James. You're making the right choice." James nodded, and got up. Once he'd walked out, the Marauders turned to Lily.

"How did you find out?" asked Remus baldly.

"I always figured," she answered, sympathy in her eyes. "When I got to Hogwarts, I read everything I could get my hands on, and I suppose… the symptoms fit." She grabbed his hand, looked him in the eye, and promised, "I don't sit in judgment, and I certainly will never tell. And no matter what Sirius thinks, I am pretty good at keeping secrets."

Lily got up. "You guys sit tight. I'll got talk to him." And with that, she flounced off the chair and was out the portrait hole in two minutes.

The three remaining boys looked at each other.

Remus sighed. "Well, you reap what you sow."

Sirius and Peter could only nod.

_***.*unusualyou*.***_

"Hey, Potter!"

James glanced back at the redhead.

"So, it's back to Potter for now, is it?" Lily rolled her eyes and smirked, but her face turned serious.

She looked at him gravely, then, to James shock, she raised her hands and cradled his face in her hands and tilted it down to hers.

"I nearly lost my friends because I didn't tell them about what I did when I had the chance," she said softly. "They're going to take it hard. You know that. But know they're going to take it much, much harder if you're not the one to tell them. And you know these things always get out, one way or another."

"I just wish there was a better time." James's voice was barely above a whisper.

"There is never a good time for these things. But your parents love you, James. No matter what. And that's… that's what counts."

James recalled, as she let her arms drop, that she had no parents. He was filled with the overwhelming desire to take her with him, and introduce her to his, as if they might help assuage the melancholy in her eyes, like they'd helped Sirius's.

"Evans," he said suddenly. She looked at him, eyes questioning.

"Will you go out with me?"

She huffed in exasperation. "No, Potter." And with that, she sashayed out of sight. Well, she probably hadn't been 'sashaying' – more like marching – but to James' eyes, every move she made kind of looked like a dance to him.

Strange.

So James steeled himself, and shuffled off to his doom. Well, what he actually did was go outside, clutch the ball of twine Dumbledore had given him, and waited for it to activate. But in his eyes, it was all the same.

His mother was going to kill him.

**A/N: Hey y'all. **_**Sigh**_**. I'm going to do my best to update this very soon, but I'm in the middle of my finals right now: 2 papers, and 5 finals. Omg! So, I'm flying out the 17****th**** for home, so I promise you guys the chapter before Christmas, for those who celebrate it. It'll be your holiday present! Good luck to all my college and high school homies feeling my pain right now ;) Lots of love, and please help me study with review to bolster my spirits!!**


	24. Oh Baby

**A/N: Hee hee! Hello all, and happy 2009! It shall be a glorious year, I can just TELL. (9 is my lucky number)**

**CONTEST ALERT! CONTEST ALERT!!**

**LOOK FOR THE 2009 NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION CONTEST AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!**

_**Chapter 24: Oh Baby**_

Dorea Potter was lovely, if she did say so herself. People who'd never met her before would swear that she was only 40 if a day, something that inexorably pleased Mrs. Potter. She wasn't vain by anyone's standards, but she did like to take care of herself.

Mitzi had always loved her mistress. She was kind and beautiful, and was good to all the house elves. She offered vacation days (which no one took) and good pay (which they didn't accept). Yes, Mrs. Potter was soft and lovely, so lovely that people couldn't fathom that she was anything at all like her husband, who's cold temper had sent more than one wizard scurrying for the exits.

But people often forgot Mrs. Potter was an Unspeakable. She'd been working in the Department of Mysteries for – well, for more years than she'd cared to count. She'd been working on Love for most of her career– more specific, studying maternal love, which had been the cruelest irony of all for a long, long time… Before James had come along.

Mrs. Potter smiled softly as she brushed her hair in from of her mirror. She was pleased to note that she had barely any wrinkles, and looked hardly old enough to have a son who was in his 6th year at Hogwarts. By looking at her, no one could ever fathom the anguish, the years of longing and heartbreak that she'd endured until that fateful day at St. Mungo's. The years she'd spent yearning for a child to hold herself, a piece of her and her husband forever enmeshed in a baby of their own… But now, she was glad to say it had all been worth it, and could not ask for more. Over the years, her love for James had only grown, in terms strengthening the bond she shared with her long time husband, and helping her fall back in love with her work.

She'd started working for the Ministry as soon as she'd graduated from Hogwarts, fresh faced and idealistic, full of dreams and hopes. Those had been put in jeopardy when she'd been assigned as a secretary… in the Department of Magical Transportation.

Not, of _course_, that the Floo network wasn't _riveting_ and that Portkeys weren't _fascinating_, but when Dorea had imagined working at the Ministry, gloriously striding into work to help save the Wizarding world… Well, suffice to say, when she had been picturing her dream career, answering invoiced about splinched teenagers and fielding Howlers from unsatisfied customers complaining about the Broom Regulatory Control… wasn't it.

She'd been deeply unsatisfied with her job, almost being reduced to tears everyday by irate witches and wizards who seemed to take every little traffic jam out on her. Dorea smiled a tender smile, and reached for a blooming lily that was gracing a crystal vase on her vanity. Twirling the flower, she closed her eyes and remembered…

"_Um…"_

"_Don't just sit there, hemming and hawing!" spat the portly, overweight man. His cheeks were flushed, his body trembling with rage, making his double chins quiver indignantly. "The Floo Network was backed up by 7 minutes_! 7 minutes_! I was late to work, and it __**is all your fault**__."_

_Dorea recoiled, as if slapped. All the other secretaries shrugged their shoulders and told her not to take it personally, but how couldn't she, when these people raged and roared as if she were the one who'd backed up the Network on purpose? She tried to hide behind her black bangs and shoulder length hair, to no avail._

"_I demand to speak to the head of the Floo Network Authority now, not an incompetent nitwit like _you_."_

_The injustice of it all burned her throat. They all assumed she was a witless idiot who'd barely passed her OWLs because she was a mere secretary, but she wasn't! She'd gotten all Os and Es in her OWLs and NEWTs, graduating at the top of her class._

"_Ah… I'm sorry… He's in a meeting…"_

"_Well, get your silly bint self up of that chair and get him!"_

_She wished she could muster some of that Gryffindor courage. She wished she could tell that wizard; tell him that she didn't have to justify herself to _him_. Her competency and power as a witch had nothing to do with either her grades or her position in the Ministry, which, in either case, was a moot point, since the _damn_ Head of the Floo Network Authority was unavailable at the moment, so why didn't he take a _damned_ seat just like everyone else and wait for his _damned_ turn!_

_But the words got stuck in her throat. She could only sit there, face red, stammering and flustered, as that fool ranted and railed._

"_Are you listening, you useless –"_

_He was suddenly cut off by a smooth voice from behind them, cool as glass and just as cutting._

"_I suggest you clean the muck from your ears and take a listen to what the lady told you, or did you not understand what she just told you because you're too stupid to comprehend her?"_

_Dorea looked up, pale and shocked. The pudgy wizard whirled around to stare at –_

_Him. She'd remembered _him_. He'd been famous during his time at Hogwarts – he'd graduated two years ahead of her – the calmed, controlled Charlus Potter._

_His hair was dark brown, almost black, his grey eyes crisp and bright. He was tall, damn the man – taller than her. She was diminutive by no one's standards, but he could easily crowd her. _

_He exuded confidence and chilly assurance, as if completely secure with his place in the world. Dorea bit her lip in a sudden pang of envy. How good it must feel, to be so sure of yourself!_

"_Wh-what did you say to me? Do you know who I am!" cried out the man, beet red and furious._

_Charlus offered him a chilly smile as he reached into his pocket and flashed the man a shiny badge – an Auror._

_She wasn't surprised. It fit him._

"_Now," he continued, "I have some official business, so why don't you get lost? And," there, his tone turned absolutely glacial. "If I ever see you berating Ministry of Magic personnel again, I'll make you regret it."_

_The man wobbled uncertainly, then turned and fled, face pale and cheeks red._

"_You shouldn't have." Dorea bit her lip. "He's an important man – he could make trouble for you."_

_Charlus bent down over her desk. "I'm not afraid of trouble."_

_Dorea's heart fluttered. They all said that his brother, Hars Potter, a year behind her, was the more charming sibling, but Dorea knew that wasn't true. Charlus, though more reserved, was definitively the most… appealing of the two._

_Oh, who was she kidding? The boy – now man – was delicious._

"_I remember you," murmured Charlus. "Gryffindor, two years behind me. Prefect, right? Heard you made Head Girl. Dorea Black."_

_Dorea nodded mutely, looking up at her rescuer with big, blue eyes. He'd been Head Boy when she'd been named prefect, and though she'd rather die than admit it, the truth was, her girlish heart had been cracked when he'd started going out with the Ravenclaw Head Girl._

_But there he was, in the flesh. Oh, he hadn't changed at all._

"_You shouldn't let people walk all over you, you know. Besides, this job isn't for you."_

_Pink cheeked, Dorea snapped, stung by the truth in his words. "Well, excuse me if we can't all be fortunate enough to get our dream jobs fresh out of school!"_

_Charlus raised his eyebrows, and then grinned quickly. "Kitten's got claws," he chuckled._

"_I'm… I'm sorry. You must think me ungrateful," stammered Dorea. "I am. I mean, I'm not! I mean…" she took a deep breath. "I'm not ungrateful – I _am_ grateful. For what you did. So thank you." With her piece spoken, Dorea let out a sigh of relief._

_Charlus twirled his wand. From the tip sprouted a beautiful tiger lily. He presented her his wand, and charmed and flustered, Dorea pulled the flower by its stem out of the wand. Once free, she brought her new gift up to her nose. It smelled wonderful._

"_You're very welcome," said Charlus in a low voice. "But I stand by what I said. You're better than this. You deserve more."_

_Eyes wide open, Dorea didn't notice her inkwell dangerously close to her elbow. She squirmed, knocking the vial over. "Oh!" Dorea cried, humiliated._

_As she scrambled for her wand, Charlus grinned. "Goodbye, Miss Black. Think about what I said." And with that, he was gone, presumably to talk to the Portkey Office manager. Dorea sighed, still clutching her flower. She held it up to her face, letting the ink leach all over the desk. _

_She glanced at the corner of her desk, at the third drawer, where her application for the Department of Mysteries was ensconced. Resolved, she tugged the drawer open, and gazed at the parchment one last time before attaching it to her barn owl's, Coeur de Lion, leg. Most people thought barn owls were frightening, but she loved them, personally. With a kiss on its feathered brow, she sent her owl away to the 9__th__ floor of the Ministry. Next time she saw Charlus Potter, she was going to look him straight in the eye, and she was going to have that same poise and buoyancy that he exuded so easily. Yes, next time she saw him, she wouldn't knock her elbow into any pot of ink, and she would be proud._

_**A/N: Seriously, image Google barn owl. Is it just me, or are those birds like seriously freaky looking? Don't get me wrong, I think owls are made of awesome, but barn owls kinda scare me. :''(**_

_Well, turns out, it didn't go _quite_ that way. Thirteen days later, she received an owl right before her shift telling her to get herself down to the 9__th__ floor for a 'meeting' with an Unspeakable._

_Face flushed, she rushed down, ignoring her boss's cries ("Hey, where are you going? You're on the clock, you know!")._

_Twenty minutes later, she was sitting down in front of a friendly yet distant looking wizard in a small, sterile looking room. Everything in the room was dark, made out of onyx marble. Dorea was already sweating._

"_So, Miss Black," he began, glancing down at a file of papers. She tried to catch a glimpse, to no avail. "I see you've sent us your Hogwarts records. Quite brilliant, at such a young age! You are… eighteen, is it?"_

"_Nineteen in November," she pointed out nervously._

"_Now, why is it you want to become an Unspeakable?"_

_And thus started the conversation. To do good in the world, I suppose. How will you do that? By finding out more about it, I guess. Do you work well with others? Well enough. Can you work with Muggle-borns and Muggles? I don't see why not. Are you satisfied with your life? Erh, yes? Where do you see yourself in ten years? As an Unspeakable, I'd think…_

_Back and forth they went, one right after another. Dorea made all the right moves, had all the right answers – she was good. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't good _enough_._

_At the end of the interview, just as she was about to leave, the examiner stopped her._

"_Miss Black, what can you tell me about… love?"_

"_Love?" she responded absently. She sat back down, frowning. "Love. Well, it's beautiful, isn't it? It's roses and cupids and hearts and what keeps people together. Magical and powerful."_

_The examiner's face twisted, as if disappointed yet resigned. Dorea bit her lip. Well, she'd sung the song and danced the dance. She might as well just say it all, then._

"_Yes, magical and powerful. It's not all hearts and rainbows after all – it's also the most terrible force in the world. It doesn't make people blind, it renders them deaf and dumb too. It's the only thing in the world that can twist you inside out and really, really break you. Someone once said that the heart is like a wheel – when you bend it, you can't mend it. I mean, it makes people do the best and worst things – it changes you, and you can't do anything about it. You can't help _love_." Dorea swallowed painfully, thinking of her family. Of how she loved them, and hated them at the same time. "They say love is opposite to hate, but that's not true, not really. It's indifference. Because hate is a form of love. A very twisted one, albeit. It's so scary, isn't it? The most powerful kind of magic. It binds you – can you imagine? Your family, for example… you have to love them. Have to. Doesn't matter who you are, or who they are, you're… Well, you kind of have no choice but to love them. No matter how much they hurt or disappoint you."_

_He looked at her, face dark, expression unreadable. Dorea was still lost in her thoughts. For some reason, she thought of Charlus. Thought of dark haired babies popped in her head. She smiled suddenly._

"_But it can be so… powerful, in a good way. Like… a love between a child and mother. It's so strong – I mean, almost unbreakable. Can you imagine that?" She looked in the examiner's face, her eyes bright. "Wouldn't you want to know why? Why we fall in love – like, love at first sight? Why we love our family, why mothers immediately love their babies, even why we love our pets? What makes love so strong, so beautiful, so terrible? Isn't it, after all, the most potent form of magic that any of use will ever wield or face?"_

_She was almost panting, she had gotten so worked up. She settled back into her chair, twisting her hands in her lap. Well, now she'd done it. Made a fool of herself, talking about silly things. The examiner was looking at her curiously. Her heart sank. He probably thought she was a nutcase – and considering the fact that she'd just run out on her shift, it looked liked she was out of a job. Great. She'd single handedly killed her Ministry career in one afternoon._

_She stood up. "Er, well. Mhm. I guess it's done now. I'll… I'll be going then."_

"_Before you go, Miss Black." The examiner stepped forward. "You are not to talk about this interview. You are not to discuss anything that happened in this room, do you hear me? You are bound by the confidentiality of the Department of Mysteries furthermore, until you are released from the bounds of the Department. You are never to confer about cases investigated during your time in the Department, do you understand?"_

"_Um, yes?" Dorea's head was spinning. "I, uh, don't understand. The implications, I mean, not your… disclaimer."_

_The examiner smiled mysteriously. She had a feeling she'd have to get used to that. "Charlus Potter was right. That job you had at the Department of Magical Transportation really wasn't for you." With that, he walked out, hands in his pockets, still smiling. Dorea ran out after him._

"_Hey! Does that mean I got the job? Did I?"_

_And thus, in the space of an afternoon, she'd gone from secretarial clerk to Unspeakable._

_Two months later, Dorea was ready. She was an Unspeakable, working on Love – not that anyone knew! She'd made great strides in her research, she'd moved into her own apartment, and had adopted a cat, Charlie. Whose name, of course, had absolutely nothing to do with a dark haired Auror whom she had not seen since he'd come in her office on the 6__th__ floor._

_Her office! She'd relished the day she had walked out of the place, primly informing her co-workers that no, she couldn't tell them what she got transferred to. After all, Unspeakables did not talk about their work! The look on their faces had been priceless. Almost as good as that fat wizard's when she'd crossed him in the elevator, and he realized he had ragged on a high level Ministry personnel. How delicious it had been to see him grovel…_

_But today, she was ready. She had to go down to the Auror's Department to brief an Auror on some of her work – a Dark wizard had been researching the same subjects, and to leave said Auror in the dark would only put his life in danger when he went to intercept the criminal. Her heart had leapt when she'd seen the Auror's name on the parchment paper. So that morning, she did her hair, letting a few tendrils wild to frame her face; wore her second best set of robes (not her best – she couldn't have him think she was trying too hard, after all), the ones that, if she said so herself, made her bubbies look fantastic; and donned her highest heels, the ones that turned her stumpy legs into a dancer's._

_She was quite gratified when walking in the Auror's department, she saw heads turn towards her as she swayed to Charlus Potter's cubicle. She wasn't prettiest girl in the world, but dammit, today she was going to be the prettiest girl in the room. Her heart beat a mile an hour, and she prayed she didn't look it._

_She got to his cubicle. His back was turned to his desk. He hadn't been looking, eh? Well, she'll show him! She wasn't a clumsy girl anymore, a Black sorted into the wrong house, unsure about where she belonged. And she was a secretary no more, near tears because of someone's temper tantrums. She cleared her throat, sounding like a frog got stuck in her windpipe._

_He turned. And dropped his quill._

_Yes, that was the sweetest moment of all._

_But then his expression cooled. "Miss Black. Thank you for coming."_

"_It's not a problem."_

_She sat down. He didn't look at her legs like she'd hoped._

"_So, what can you tell me?"_

"_Very little, I'm afraid."_

"_Well, whatever you can say I'm sure will be helpful."_

_Dorea looked down._

"_Weren't you working on another case? I heard…"_

_She spied on his desk a pink slip. It read in bold letters CASE TRANSFER REQUEST FORM. Under it was written 'Accepted'. Seeing her line of sight, Charlus covered it up with a heavy file._

"_I was switched over," he answered shortly. "Reassigned."_

"_I see." She hid a smile. Then, under his disconcerting gaze, she squirmed. And knocked over a pot of ink._

"_Oh~!" She cried, furious with herself. "I can't believe it."_

_Charlus suddenly smiled, and with a flick of his wand, the ink that had sunk into the fabric of her dress was lifted and funneled back into its glass container. Dorea let all efforts of aloofness escape her face as she slumped in her seat._

"_Typical," she muttered. "I guess there's no use trying. I might work for the Department of Mysteries, but that certainly doesn't make me graceful. Or mysterious."_

_Charlus looked her over discreetly. She glowed. "You looked graceful enough when you walked in."_

_So he'd seen! Looked! "Let me assure you, there were a few close calls. These heels are pretty, but Merlin knows I've walked on more stable mountain paths than walking on marble in these shoes."_

"_Say. Wouldn't you like to go to a spot on Diagon Alley for tea, or lunch? To discuss the case, of course."_

"_Of course." Dorea, for the first time looked deep into his grey eyes. "But I'm afraid there's not much to say. Unspeakable, you see."_

_Charlus whispered back, "We'll think of something."_

Two strong arms wrapped around Dorea's small waist.

"Knut for your thoughts," murmured her husband.

She looked in the mirror, starting into the reflection of his deep grey eyes. He'd hardly changed, in all these years – in truth, he was even more handsome now than when they'd first met. Dorea only smiled, and grasped his hands.

"I'm just thinking that we're having dinner with the Abbots tomorrow, and Merlin help me, I have no idea what we'll talk about."

"We'll think of something." With that, he bent to kiss his wife.

"Hey, hey," said a voice from behind them. "PG-13, alright? There are children in the room."

The Potters turned around, surprised. Charlus had his wand pulled out, and slid it back into his pocket with a sight of relief. Dorea smiled radiantly, and got up from her vanity to greet her son.

"James!" she kissed his cheeks, and hugged him tight. James hugged her right back enthusiastically. After all, no one was there to see him. "My ducky, how I missed you!" She frowned. "Not that it isn't lovely to see you, but aren't you supposed to be in school?"

James shuffled his feet, and decided to side step the question.

"Mother, have I told you look absolutely ravishing today?"

Mrs. Potter raised her eyebrow at him. James sighed. He really couldn't get away with anything with his mum.

"How about we go in the sitting room? I need to talk to you."

Charlus frowned. "Are you in trouble? Were you expelled?"

At his mother's gasp, James rolled his eyes. "No, dad. Nothing quite so dramatic. Can't a boy visit his parents?"

But Dorea was having none of it. "Not when he's supposed to be in school. I don't even want to know how you got out!"

James just slung his arm around his mother's shoulders – he was quite a bit taller than her, like his father – and led her out of the room.

Ten minutes later, the ambiance in the room had dampened. His parents, very familiar with their son's moods, recognized the fact that whatever James had to say to them, it was quite important. Unnaturally sober, the three Potter looked at each other, unsure of where to start.

James could feel himself chickening out. How would he tell them? He didn't just want to blurt it out, but he had no idea how to break it gently to them either way.

What the hell was he going to say?

He opened his mouth –

And the doorbell rang.

James shot to his feet. "I'll get it!"

And with that, he was gone.

His parents glanced at each other.

"Whatever do you think could be wrong with him? He's so… serious."

Charlus had a sneaking suspicion he knew what the problem was. That haunted, unsure look on his face, as if he had made a mistake, unaware of it's potentially disastrous consequences… All these observations led the Auror to conclude that his son was, indeed, in quite a bit of trouble.

Charlus took a deep breath, and exhaled. Dorea was going to have a fit.

"I think I know what's wrong with him." He clasped his wife's hands. "I think… he might've gotten a girl pregnant."

Dorea gaped, then moaned. "My – but – he couldn't – It can't – Oh, damn!" Oh, if only that explanation didn't make so much sense!

"But he's only sixteen!" she wailed.

She caught her husband's sidelong glance. "What?"

"Well, the only thing I can say is if I'd been going out with you when I was sixteen, you probably would've had James quite a bit earlier."

Dorea gasped. "You lecher, that would've made me fourteen! And don't try to distract me. What if it really is that? What are we going to do?"

Charlus shook his head mournfully. "Damned if I know. He's really done it this time."

Dorea wringed her hands. "Maybe it's not that," she said hopefully.

"Maybe," grunted Charlus.

James, in the meantime, ran over to the door. Maybe it would be Voldemort, here to Avada Kedavra him. At least then, he wouldn't have to tell his parents about the whole "Quidditch thing". It would be quite sad, but it really would make no difference, since his mum was going to murder him anyways when she found out.

He flung to door open, half dreadful, half almost hopeful.

But instead of the terrifying dark wizard, was a tiny witch.

"Move over," she grumbled. "It's bloody cold out there."

"Lily!" cried James. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here. Wait. Why are you here?

Lily bustled in. "Well, knowing you, I knew you'd botch it, so I had Sirius tell me how to get here. Wasn't too difficult." She shook off her coat. A house elf approached her timidly, and Lily handed her the coat. "Thank you," she said gently, before turning to James.

"Come on, then. Let's break them the news."

James grinned, still nervous, but now oddly optimistic. Lily had that effect on him. He linked his arm through hers. "Let's."

While Dorea and Charlus ruminated over their hypothesis, James strode through the door with Lily in tow.

"Mum, Dad," he began brightly. "This is Lily."

"Oh, God," groaned Dorea, and buried her face in her hands.

"Merlin," muttered Charlus. "I can't believe this."

"Believe it!" said the teenager, attributing his parents' reaction to Lily's fame, and not to the tiny, inconsequential fact that they believed she was carrying James' child.

It was going to be a long day.

**A/N: AH ha ha ha ha! Oh my God I LOVE IT!!! Why do I do this to James? Damn if I know! I just do. I promise promise promise to have the new chapter up soon, I'm just so BUSY with new classes, new semester… Will post vair vair soon, is a promise!**

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**Leave a review for this chapter – and what'll do is write your name down when you leave a review, put it in a hat, and whoever's name gets picked out get a delicious, delicious… ONE-SHOT! That's right, you win a ONE-SHOT, yo! It can be about ANY characters in this fic - CANON PLEASE - (it's the only ones I'm good at…), or regular Lily/James, Harry/Ginny, Fleur/Bill, Victoire/Teddy, and why not, Ron/Hermione. They are the pairings I'd be most comfortable doing, but the winner can choose. You also pick what the one shot is about – the setting, the rating, you name it, I'll write it! Mm, I guess lemons are okay, but since I'm in no position to be knowledgeable about that kind of stuff, I promise nothing. It's best if you sign in for this, so I can PM you, but if you don't want to, you don't have to. Leave your e-mail so I can let you know! The contest will be open FOR ONE WEEK from the day of posting, SO REVIEW AND WIN!! :)****

****DISCLAIMER – NO deathfics, love triangles, or cheating spouses/ girlfriends/ boyfriends… Stuff like that. Cause A.) It'll be terrible, and B.) I hate reading stuff like that, much less writing it, so if I hate writing it, I'm pretty sure you guys are going to hate reading it. Sorry. **


	25. Tick, Tock

_**A/N:**_

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_Chapter 25: Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

The room was silent as a grave, save for the grandfather clock in the corner. It was quite a nice clock, but really, no one was paying attention to it at that particular moment.

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

"Um," said James. He was sitting across from his parents, next to Lily. For some reason, they were holding hands, which had made him feel better, until he realized that his parents seemed to be staring at their clasped hands with something akin to horror.

"So, err… Well, I have something to tell you, Mum, Dad…"

Mrs. Potter rubbed her forehead miserably, as Mr. Potter sighed heavily.

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

"Its quite alright, son. We… already know. At least, we guessed."

James blinked. "Oh. Oh! Really… Really? I mean, um, wow. Wow!" he exhaled with a small laugh, looking back at Lily, who smiled at him encouragingly. "What about that! So…" he looked worried again. "Are you mad?"

Mr. Potter muttered, "Well, the deed is done now, so there's really no point."

Still relieved, James quipped with a small laugh, looking at Lily. "Well, it's definitively done, you're right! Repeatedly," he added, thinking of his numerous Quidditch matches.

Color leached from Mrs. Potter's face.

But James babbled on. "Well Sirius, Remus, and Peter all got involved– "

"They knew?!"

"Well, of course," replied James accompanied by an eye roll. "They watched. Sometimes they gave it a go."

Appalled, his parents could only gape at him.

"Yup, they almost always came," he added cheerfully.

His father could only shake his head in utter disbelief.

"Bu- But –" Mrs. Potter stuttered, addressing Lily. "Did-didn't that ever… bother you?"

Lily shrugged. "Oh, not particularly. " She smiled at Mrs. Potter kindly. "After all these years, I'm quite used to it." She turned to James with a mischievous smile. "I have a lot of experience in that area, after all."

His mother covered her mouth with one of her hands, eyes wide.

Head still reeling, Charlus addressed his son. "When did this… start?"

"I was about… I dunno… thirteen or so?" James frowned at Lily. "You too, right?"

"Err, well, I think I was about eleven. But I only got really good at it when I was about thirteen too."

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

"Yeah… But I have to say, I'm quite good at what I do. Lily as well! I mean, we've both practiced a lot – on the pitch, on stage, whenever we could, really –"

"But it's never interfered with our schoolwork! I won't lie, sometimes, we've had to skip class, but those times were necessary. For emergencies.

Mr. Potter was aghast. Emergencies? There really were no words.

"But what are you going to do?"

"I dunno. Keep going at it, I guess."

_Keep going at what?_ Wanted to ask Mr. Potter, and yet, a tiny voice in the back of his head was screaming, telling him, _Don't do it! Don't ask! You'll be scarred for life! For the love of God, _listen_ for once in your miserable existence!_

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

He didn't ask.

Looking at the two of them, Mrs. Potter burst out, "Now you'll _have_ to get married!"

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

"… What?"

Lily and James froze, their hair standing up on the back of their neck. The whole conversation had already been more than a little dodgy, what with the Potters reacting so oddly, torn between revulsion and terror at every thing they'd uttered. But at this point in the conversation, it was quite apparent that somewhere along the way, something had gone terribly, horribly wrong.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I follow," said Lily nervously.

Mrs. Potter gestured wildly towards Lily's midriff. "You can't be selfish anymore! You must think of what's best for the baby!"

Lily and James looked at each other, dumbfounded. "What baby?" asked James blankly.

Mrs. Potter fairly screamed, "The baby your teenage girlfriend is pregnant with!"

Oh. My. God.

Lily jumped as far away from James as possible, as if he were on fire. Normally James would have taken offense to such actions had he not been in the process of getting just as far away from Lily himself.

"Who-ah! Bloody hell, no!"

"I'm not pregnant!"

"We're not even – "

"I would _never_ – "

"This is _so_ wrong – "

" – Completely impossible for that to happen – "

"Not my girlfriend – "

"Not my boyfriend – "

"Oh my God, Mum!"

"_Oh_ my God."

Mrs. Potter looked from one to the other. "So… you're not pregnant?"

"No!" shouted James and Lily together, James very pale, Lily very red.

"We're not even dating, for Merlin's sake, Mum!"

"I can assure you," Lily said stiffly. "That such an occurrence would be _quite_ impossible."

"Now look what you've done," hissed James. "You've offended her. What is with you two?"

Relieved, mortified, flustered, Mrs. Potter could only flap her hands, saying, "Oh! Oh!" Suddenly tears sprang to her eyes and her mouth wobbled.

"I didn't mean – oh, I'm so sorry – I don't know what to say – " She sniffled.

Immediately the three people in the room gathered around her.

"Dorea, darling, don't cry – "

"Oh, please don't, Mum, I didn't mean it – "

"Mrs. Potter, don't be upset, I'm not offended, I understand – "

Dorea looked up to Lily with big, tearful eyes. "I can't apologize enough. We jumped to conclusions, and I – I – " She teared up again.

Lily, who normally wasn't extremely affectionate with strangers, plopped down next to Mrs. Potter and wrapped her arms around her, who hugged her back.

"Don't worry about it," said Lily, voice slightly muffled. "It's not a big deal."

"Are you sure?" sniffled Mrs. Potter.

"One day, we'll look back on this and laugh."

"Do you really think so?"

"Absolutely. Maybe. Well, probably. Someday. …It could happen. Eventually."

"Yeah, in a hundred years, maybe," muttered James. His father shot him a dirty look that James mirrored. He mouthed, _This is all your fault_, to the Auror who rolled his eyes but turned pink at the truth in his son's words.

Mrs. Potter pulled back from the hug and opened her mouth. Then closed it. Then squinted at her. "I _know_ you!"

"Err, well, you might, yeah."

"But from where?"

Lily squirmed. "Erm, I sing, so – "

"Oh, my Merlin!" gaped Mrs. Potter. "You're that Flor girl! You're famous!" She turned to her husband. "She's famous."

"For what?" said Mr. Potter blankly.

Mrs., Potter waved him aside. "Never mind him. Oh my goodness, what an honor!" She patted Lily's hand. "I love your songs. Always listen when they come on the radio!" Mrs. Potter sighed happily, bound and determined to put her social faux pas aside. The girl wasn't _really_ pregnant, so really, where was the harm? "I'm a bit too old for music like that, but I can't help it. I've always found you so very talented. And you're Jamie's friend? Oh, my. Wait till I tell Mrs. Abbott." She glowed. Ironically enough, for an Unspeakable, Mrs. Potter could sometimes be a bit of a gossip. Product of not being able to talk about anything else, James always theorized.

Lily ducked her head. "Well, thank you. I came along to, err – support James. Today." The redhead glanced back at James.

James swallowed. "Yeah. Right."

He sat on the coffee table across from the couch that housed his parents and his fellow Gryffindor.

Time to come out with it. Mr. Potter was frowning, as Mrs. Potter, still holding Lily's hands, blinked at him.

"Err, you know Ric Lyon? That Quidditch player?"

"Yes," growled Mr. Potter, his expression turning thunderous.

"I think so, yes." Mrs. Potter puckered her lips. "What team does he play for? Are you his friend, too?" She then gasped. "Are – are you – in a… _relationship_ with him? Because I'll support you no matter what - !"

"_Mum_." James glared.

Mrs. Potter simply shrugged uncomfortably, muttering, "It could happen, always surrounded by those three boys… You never know…"

"ANYWAYS," sighed James. What was with them today? Well, at least he knew where he'd gotten that ridiculously overactive imagination of his. Pregnant and gay all in one day. Maybe being a Quidditch player in the end would actually be… anti-climactic.

"Back to Ric Lyon. I'm not 'in a relationship' with him because I am him."

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

"Ric Lyon is me. I'm Ric Lyon. I play professional Quidditch. I've been playing professional Quidditch for three years now."

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

"So… Yeah."

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

There was a sound from the far side of the couch. All eyes turned to Mr. Potter.

He got up – James did as well.

Mrs. Potter got up too. "James," she murmured, pale and drawn. "What possessed you?"

James turned towards his mother – his father's expression was so enraged, so tortured, that James couldn't face him right then.

"It's my life," he said. "And I was given an opportunity. I took it. You can't shelter me forever." He turned towards his father. "I'm not Uncle Hars, dad," he said softly. "I'm not crazy like he was."

Mr. Potter shook his head. "No," he growled. "You're worse. Even Hars didn't join until he was nineteen! You were thirteen!" He grasped his son's shoulder. "You're sixteen, James! Are you crazy? Do you want to die?" He shook him once – not hard, but enough for James to tense.

James could have gotten mad. He could've stamped his foot, screamed, shouted, delivered a dramatic speech about being free before storming out - but he didn't. He saw the raw fear in his father's eyes, the broken look he'd glimpsed in their grey depths as he saw Charlus Potter rushing to his little brother's body, too late, unable to save him. He saw that same look there today.

So he didn't say anything.

"How could you! You _know_ how we feel about this! So you've been lying to us for _three years_?" His face tensed and he shook his head, looking lost for words, desperate and furious. "Do you know what it would do to us if you died? How long we wanted a child? Did you even think what it would do to your mother? How could you be so irresponsible, so selfish! You're just a little boy, no matter what anyone says! You're a baby! You turned sixteen last _month_! I can't believe this." He release James and stalked to the end of the room.

Lily was silent, eyes on the floor. She'd expected something like this, and had felt it was necessary for James to have an ally in the room. But it was not her place to say anything – one of the reasons she, not Sirius or Remus, had come – they'd be unable to hold their silence. Besides, as co-conspirators, they could have incurred the Potter's wrath. So Lily sat, expression neutral, waiting for the storm to pass.

"Oh, James," sighed Mrs. Potter heavily. "Why? Why would you go through all of this? I – I don't understand."

"Mum," the teenager started. "Mum. It's not that I don't respect you or care about you – I do. But like I said, it is my life. And it started on a whim – I didn't think I'd get it – but then I did, and just – I just had to, you know? I mean, it's like choosing between being a Magical Transportation clerk and an Unspeakable. Yeah, it's dangerous and hard, but, seriously, which would you pick? Which one did you pick?"

Mrs. Potter, shook her head, biting her lip. "It's not the same," she whispered. "I was of age when I joined the Department of Mysteries."

"Yeah, but I can't wait, can I? When I graduate, I'm not going to have time to play Quidditch. I'm going to be fighting."

James swallowed, feeling the same sense of helplessness crushing his weight whenever he thought about graduation and what would come after. The Quidditch thing had started so innocently, just a heady childish adventure. But now it had become so much more – it was his escape, his chance to live the life he would have lived had Lord Voldemort stayed in the darkest pits of hell from whence he came.

James tried to find the words to explain that feeling to his parents. "There's a war out there – and it's only going to get worse, no matter what people in the Ministry say. You know that – you've said it enough times. I can't do much right now, being in school or anything. So… now's my chance. It's really now or never for me, you know? Before I have to go out there and fight."

Mrs. Potter sat, wringing her hands. "Are these my choices?" she asked miserably. "Quidditch player versus dark wizard catcher? Why couldn't you pick something safe?" She rested her forehead against the heel of her palms.

James sat down next to her. "Maybe it's because I'm a Potter – because I'm your son. It's not in my genes to pick the easy way."

Mrs. Potter sniffed and looked up. She cradled her son's face in her hands, looking deep into his eyes, so like his father's, perhaps not in color, but in shape. "Oh, my baby. I am not happy with you."

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

"I know."

Mrs. Potter let him go with a kiss on his brow. She stood up and grabbed Lily's hand, hoisting the petite teenager to her feet. "Come on, darling," she said with forced cheer. "Let's get the tea."

Lily looked back at James uncertainly, who nodded at her with a smile. Sure, apart from the whole pregnant thing, he had felt a lot better knowing she was on his side. But now he had to talk to his father. Alone.

Lily looked at Mrs. Potter as she closed the door behind her. Seeing the girl's inquisitive eyes, she smiled and slung her arm around Lily.

"Dear girl," she started. "Sometimes it's best to let the boys deal with their problems at their own pace." She brightened as she steered Lily towards the kitchen.

"So," she said slyly. "How do you know James exactly? You know, I hear that he's single now."

Lily blanched.

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

Charlus couldn't think, couldn't speak. He was so… furious. At everything, everyone. At James, for being so goddamned stupid, for being such a, a… teenager! At the entire Quidditch league for not realizing that Ric Lyon was just a _child_. At himself, for not realizing that the brash seeker, whom he had held an interest in, was his own goddamned son - how had he not _seen _it? Hell, he was furious at the whole entire _world_. Old bile rose in his throat, and he felt his age-old anger come back, pushing from behind his eyes and pounding his head.

Anger at his little brother for being so – so reckless. So selfish! For dying – for a goddamned game – for leaving him. And most of all for dying in front of James, little James, who'd been white and horrified. He'd had nightmares for weeks. James, who never cried, but would crawl into their bed in the dead of night, his eyes red and his stuffed snitch (which he'd previously disdained as 'too babyish for him') wet with his tears.

Damn Hars for his self-centeredness, for his wild streak. For risking his neck without a care for his life, or for how his death might affect others. Who died in front of their godson? Who would do that, leaving little kids with visions of dimming eyes, thestrals and never-ending nightmares? Who would do that to a child? Little snitch, he'd used to call his nephew…

Little no more. At least, not physically. James was tall – as tall as him. He was fit; grudgingly, Charlus had to admit that if they ever got into it, James just might be able to take him. Well, maybe. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

But it was his eyes – his eyes that were old. As if they, too, were aware that James was definitively not little anymore. And in his eyes, Charlus could read the understanding.

"Dad," he murmured. "Please don't be mad. I just… I had to."

"No," Charlus objected fiercely. "You didn't _have_ to."

"I did," responded James calmly. "I had to get my chance to be a kid too."

"By impersonating an adult man and playing a dangerous, potentially lethal sport? Besides, you play Quidditch in school!"

"I surpassed my classmates a long time ago – but you know that."

Charlus just shook his head and sat down. Damn, he was getting old. He just didn't have it in him to be mad anymore.

He remembered. He remembered…

"_Ahh! This is all your fault, you bastard!"_

_Charlus ducked the jinx his wife just sent him. Calmly, the nurse wrestled Dorea's wand out of her hand, murmuring, "There, there, dear."_

"_You're never touching me again!"_

_A tasteful vase whizzed by Charlus's head to crash in the wall behind him. The same nurse coolly repaired the vase with a flick of her wand, and wisely put it out of her patient's reach._

"_Aahhhhh! I hate you all! I want to go hooooooome!"_

_White as a sheet, Charlus could only stand in the corner, wavering, wanting to go to his wife when it was quite obvious that Mrs. Potter was not very taken with the idea of seeing Mr. Potter at the time._

_Eight-and-a-half months – eight months since they'd found out that Dorea's stomach bug was an altogether different kind of virus. A parasite, his brother had called it._

"_Hey," said Hars nonchalantly as he stuck his head through the Hospital door. "How are the parasite and its host doing today?"_

_Charlus glared at his little brother. "This is a bit of a bad time, Hars," he growled._

"_Don't worry," Hars rolled his eyes. "It's gonna take her like, three weeks to pop that kid out. You've got time." And with that he wandered off to sweet talk some of the nurses._

_Three weeks?_

_Charlus grabbed a nurse as she bustled by. "How long is this going to take?" he asked, eyes wild._

"_Mrs. Potter is progressing nicely. She'll most probably deliver no later than tonight." And with that, she was gone._

"_But it's nine in the morning!"_

_And then, to Charlus's utmost horror, Dorea began to cry._

"_Oh my – Oh no, please don't cry –"_

"_I'm scared," she sobbed. "I'm too old. What if the baby dies?"_

"_No, no," murmured Charlus. "I won't let that happen, I promise."_

"_Please," said Dorea wetly. "You have to swear. You have to promise to always protect the baby, no matter what."_

"_All right, I will, I promise, but please, darling, don't cry. Don't cry."_

_Dorea sighed. "Please stay."_

"_Of course." He kissed her brow, and brushed hair out of her face. "Of course."_

_As it happened, James was in quite the hurry to be born. It didn't take very long, though to Charlus, they were the longest hours of his entire life._

_In the end, he got kicked out of the room, though Charlus put up quite a fight. To no avail: the medi-witches were quite stern, and told him to go yell at some people – _outside_._

_So he sat in his seat and fumed as Hars grinned next to him. "Not everyday I get to see you manhandled by tiny ladies. Except for that one nurse. Man, she was huge! What was she, seven feet? And I even heard her name was Helga. Helga!" Hars shook his head in wonder and marveled at having found a living stereotype. "I think she liked you, by the way. Looked you over."_

_Charlus could only shake his head and bury his face in his hands. "I'm going to hex someone."_

_They were interrupted by a high, wailing cry (later, Charlus would compare the sound to marvel and joy, while Hars insisted that it had actually sounded like a dying alley cat)._

_In two seconds flat, Charlus flew to the delivery room, Helga vainly trying to hold him back ("Ach! You cannot go! It is Forbidden!"). There, he saw – _

_Dorea, red-faced but smiling, eyes bright and breathing hard. She looked up at the stunned Charlus, clutching a bundle to her chest. "Come greet your son," she said softly._

_So Charlus went to his family's side, hands shaking, short of breath. In her arms, he saw a tiny red scrap of humanity, wailing with all the strength of his tiny little lungs. He had a shock of black hair, and though his face was screwed up, Charlus could see that the baby took after his mother._

"_Hullo," he murmured, reaching uncertainly towards his son. "Hullo." The baby turned to look at him, and he quieted. The newborn, seeing something large and foreign come closer towards him, did the most logical thing he could think of and grabbed it, successfully catching his father's finger._

"_What a grip," murmured Charlus, as Dorea caressed the baby's unusually hairy head._

"_It'll be a Seeker for sure!" said a cheerful voice from being them. Hars came towards them, then grimaced. "Dear Merlin, it's red. Look at it! It looks so… weird. I thought babies were supposed to be cute."_

_Seeing the looks on his brother and sister-in-law's face, Hars wisely changed the subject._

"_What shall we call him?" asked Dorea._

"_James. James Harold Potter."_

_And as Charlus looked his son in his serious blue eyes, he remembered the vow he'd made to his wife, his son…_

... and himself.

"I promised," began Charlus gruffly. "I promised your mother I'd keep you safe. That I'd… take care of you."

James sat down next to his father. "And you have. You did – you still do. And I do realize that joining a Quidditch team is a bit over the top, but… I dunno, I had a shot, and I went for it. And it's taught me a lot of good things, and I'd do it all over again."

Charlus shook his head. "Just like Hars," he said hoarsely.

"No. Not like Uncle Hars. Sometimes I take risks, but I won't die for a game – it's just not worth it. Uncle Hars taught me that much."

Charlus just shook his head. "I'm still angry," he assured him.

James nodded. "I know."

"You're grounded. Forever."

"…Except for match days, of course."

"…"

"…?" James raised his eyebrow inquisitively.

"Fine. Except for match days."

James grinned and thumped his old man on the back. "I'll get you tickets!"

Charlus grunted in guise of an answer.

"Thanks, Dad," James said, looking down.

"Yeah, well, it's a bit late now, isn't it?" Charlus shook his head in disgust. "Three years. I still can't believe this! How did I not see it?"

James shrugged. "I learned from the best."

"Don't try to flatter me, boy."

"It's not flattery if it's true!"

"That kind of bollocks doesn't even work on your mother."

Right then, Mrs. Potter came in, carrying a giant tea tray. Lily followed with a minuscule one, looking uncomfortable.

She sat down on an empty couch and tried to blend in with the furniture. Mrs. Potter, seeing this, shooed James off the other couch. "Scoot, James, that was my seat. Why don't you go sit next to _Lily_?"

Slightly puzzled, James obeyed, and sat down next to Lily, who glanced at Mrs. Potter, and seeing her duly occupied (pouring tea to her husband and chattering to him), Lily hissed at James, "She's trying to set us up!"

James frowned. "What?"

"Your mother! She's trying to get us together."

"…We are together."

"NO – _together_ together."

"Oh. Oh!" James blinked. "Really?"

"Yes! I don't know what to do!"

"Hm."

"Can you believe it? Fifteen minutes ago she thought I was pregnant, you just revealed you're a huge Quidditch player, and _now _she's trying to play matchmaker!"

"Actually, from my mum, I can believe it. It's her coping mechanism."

"Setting people up?"

"No, focusing on small details while she chews over bigger problems. When I grew a tail one summer, she fussed over my hair the whole time we were at St. Mungo's. That's just what she does to be able to function."

"…"

Lily looked at James mournfully. They were both still in their school uniforms, and seeing the Gryffindor crest sewn into his clothes made her homesick. "I shouldn't have come," she muttered.

James slung his arm around Lily, who turned all shades of red. He smiled widely at her. "Of course you should've." He reached for snack and offered it to her. "Crumpet?"

Seeing them sitting together, arms around each other (well, James' arm around Lily's shoulders), Mrs. Potter sighed happily.

"Look at them!" she whispered loudly to her sulking husband. "Aren't they simply adorable?"

Charlus frowned. "I thought you two weren't together."

"We aren't," responded James nonchalantly. He added with a smirk, "Yet." as his mother squealed, his father rolled his eyes and Lily squirmed.

The redhead glared at him. "You'll pay for this."

James only smiled.

An hour later, Lily was stomping towards the field where the portkey would be waiting for them.

"What?"

Lily whirled around, her clover green coat flapping. "What? What?! You want talk about that little show you put on back there?"

They were walking down the gravel path out of the Potter's mansion, both bundled against the numbing wind. The last hour had been anything but pleasant. Still in a bit of a shock over James' announcement concerning his "job", James had jumped on the golden opportunity of diverting his parents' attention.

Still mortified over having thought that Lily had been pregnant, the Potters had been overly nice to her… especially James. Foolish boy, validating his mother's silliness! It still boggled her mind. They thought she'd been with child, and now they wanted her to go out with their son? What, wasn't one pregnancy scare enough?

James shrugged. "It was entertaining. And it made my mum happy. Gave her something else to think about other than me flying around being followed by lead balls of death."

Lily just gave him a dirty look. "You're only messing with her for nothing. We are NOT going out."

James just smiled and brushed a strand of hair off Lily's face, tucking it behind her ear. She turned pink.

"You're right. We're not going out –" He bent down towards her, his face now scant inches from hers – "Yet."

Lily could only stand there, mesmerized, as he got closer to her, until his breath mingled with hers. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest and she thought wildly to herself, _Oh my God, is he going to_…?

There was a sound behind them. Startled, they jumped apart and turned towards the source of the noise.

Against the stormy grey sky stood a tall dark figure, wrapped in a black cloak. His boots crunched ominously over the gravel. His hood was up, barring his face.

Lily felt her hands go clammy. Her breath fogged up, and she started feeling light headed. Every single nerve in her body was screaming at her to go, get out, run –

She looked at James. He was clenching his jaw, and beads of sweat had erupted on his forehead. She could see he had gone pale, and he was clutching his wand.

"Who are you?" he called to the figure.

The man stopped. "My name is not important." His voice was so cold, it chilled Lily down to her very depths. She resisted the urge to shiver, and pulled out her own wand. In a commanding tone that belied her unease, she fired back, "What do you want?"

The figure turned towards her, as if mildly amused by her question. He turned back towards James, dismissing the redhead.

"I have come with a… message."

James shifted, tightening his hold on his wand. That man – he looked… he looked like the people that had attacked him in Hogsmeade, weeks ago.

He surreptitiously started edging towards Lily.

"From whom?" But Lily knew it was a useless question.

"I think you know."

James clutched his wand. A drop of sweat rolled down his forehead.

They were off the Potter property, and had been off of it for some time now. Too far away for help.

"Speak your piece then, and leave."

The man inclined his head, and hissed, "My master wishes to inform you that he has been… made aware of your reputations. Your, shall we say, skills."

"How?" asked Lily, feeling her hands grow icy.

"The Dark Lord has eyes everywhere. He knows everything. He knows of you, Miss _Flor_, and Mr._ Lyon_. Our Lord acknowledges your ingenuity, and recognizes talent when he sees it. He would like to extend an invitation to the both of you, even though – one of you – is not _quite_ of our pedigree."

Lily glanced at James, unsure of what to say, still stunned and horrified. Unlike her, James had thought about the possibility of him being solicited by Voldemort, and had already prepared his answer.

"Thank you for the opportunity, but I am afraid we shall have to decline. Nothing personal, of course."

"Of course," the man answered. He paused. "But beware – there shall soon be consequences to your refusal." And with that, he disappeared.

The teenagers looked at each other for a horrifying moment. Then, they took off running towards the field where the broken tire iron laid waiting for their return, so close, yet so far away.

**A/N: Phew! Looong chappie for you – in a week! I am so proud. You're lovely reviews totally floated my boat. Keep your eyes peeled, for the ONE SHOT GIVE AWAY WILL RETURN TRIUMPHANT SOOOOONN!!!**

**In the meantime, please please please read and review. :)**


	26. Right Here

_Chapter 26: Right Here_

Oh God Oh God Oh God.

They were both running as if their very lives depended on it, which it did – any second now they'd arrive and then it would be too late and James would be damned if he was going to be murdered in front of his parents' house. His mum would never recover.

They felt the cold at their backs and the pick up of the wind and knew that the others must have apparated as well – they didn't know who exactly these others were, but they knew they did not wish them well. Wasting no time Lily whipped around as she ran, ready to stun any Death Eater that got too close – and almost let go of her wand in terror.

There must have been five or six of them – enough to overrun them easily. After all, they were just kids, just students, barely alive – only _sixteen years old_ -

Lily almost froze. She almost stopped running. Almost curled up in ball of horror.

Suddenly, a warm hand clasped hers and tugged her forward. "Keep going!" screamed James, and she did.

The Death Eater they had spoken to simply moment ago did not worry. He only smiled coldly and kept an even pace, convinced his quarry had nowhere to hide. But James wasn't about to let that happen. As one of the Death Eaters glided forward – how, he didn't know – to catch up with the running pair, James stupefied him, galvanizing Lily into action.

"Protego!" she cried at an oncoming curse. It bounced off her shield. "Protego Horriblis!"

Simultaneously, the two of them conjured up their respective animal guardians, with a breathless, "Expecto Patronum!" A stag and a doe erupted from their wands only to charge at oncoming Death Eaters, bowling them over as they struggled, blinded by the silver animals.

The Death Eater that had delivered their ultimatum only laughed coldly, before raising his wand. "Crucio," he hissed.

But James was ready. Honed by years of training on a Quidditch pitch, he tried to pretend the incoming curse was nothing but a nasty bludger, and he reacted instinctively. Shoving Lily aside so she veered to the left, James put a burst of speed to the right and the curse only ended up brushing by.

Lily, in the meantime, was busy thanking the Gods for her own training – for years now, all her coaches and tutors had forced her to sing while running as fast as she could, to build her stamina and lung power. Something burned Lily's forehead, but she hardly noticed it and did her best to keep going. She could keep up the chase for a little while longer, but not for much. And yet the Portkey was still so far away. An idea came to mind, but the timing had to be just right…

She rejoined James, and yelled at him in a breathy voice, "James! Distract them!" James, white faced, did as she asked. He managed to point his wand behind his shoulder, and started firing any and all spells he could think of.

"Expelliarmus! Confundo! Expulso! Impedimenta! Stupefy! Confrigo! Erh – Rictusepra!"

Of course, none of them worked. With a flick of their wands, their attackers shrugged off all the spells easily, still not hurrying to reach the two teenagers. They were tiring, and soon would be overrun.

In a last ditch attempt, James muttered a spell he had learned years before to annoy McGonagall, who had confiscated all his Filibusters. Huge sparks erupted out of his wand, momentarily distracting the Death Eaters, unsure whether the sparks were dangerous or not.

But Lily wasn't idle as James vainly attacked the rapidly approaching Death Eaters. Half dead of exhaustion, she gasped out, "Accio Portkey!"

From the bulrushes, a tire iron came flying out at them, spinning wildly. Too late, the Death Eaters realized what she'd been trying to do. With vengeful hisses, they aimed their wands, blasting curse after jinx. However, thanks to the two Patronuses and a well-placed Protego shield, the curses didn't hit their intended victims.

Finally realizing that his quarry might escape, one of the Death Eaters snarled under his mask. He raised his wand – there was no escaping that spell – it was ov –

James felt all his Seeker instincts roaring to life. He grabbed Lily's hand, still clutching his wand, and leapt towards the Portkey – the spell was seconds away from hitting them – if he didn't catch it –

He did.

Lily plastered herself against James, locking her arms around him as they started spinning from the ground. They were saved.

Suddenly, a horrible lurch froze them in place. James could feel the tire iron vibrating angrily. Already 8 or 9 feet off the ground, they looked down, panicked.

"Oh no," whispered Lily.

The thwarted Death Eater, a picture of malevolence, was pointing his wand at the pair, looking, to say the least, displeased. How he was keeping the Portkey from leaving, James' didn't know, but he knew if he managed to ground them, it would all be over.

However, Lily noticed something strange. As hard as the tire iron was vibrating, so was the man's wand.

"He can't keep us here long," realized Lily. "It was – Dumbledore's Portkey – "

The Death Eaters heard her.

"Clever," he hissed. "Yes, I won't be able to counteract Dumbledore's power very long… now. But don't think that will last forever." He smirked, a grimace that made Lily want to sob in terror. "Soon our Master will be greater than any who has ever lived. Your precious Headmaster won't save you for long."

His voice fell, becoming as dark and ominous as a nightmare. His hand shook with effort to keep the Portkey in place. "Do not think for a moment that this is the end. One day we will be waiting in the shadows for you. Watch were you step carefully now…"

With a final glare, there was a snap in the air as the spell lost control of the Portkey. As if released from a bow, the Portkey spun away with a vengeance, blurring the near empty field in with the sky.

_**Jjeandnaicfoewrbsobyobdayby**_

They sat on the marble floor, panting.

Lily forgot about decorum or propriety. She leaned against James, burrowing her face in his shirt. James put his arms around her, cradling her under his chin as he breathed in the strawberry smell of her shampoo and tried to control his breathing.

"Oh, God," muttered Lily. "I know," responded James.

She stirred. "Thank God you said what you did when he asked. I never figured… Being a muggleborn and all… Not to mention the fact that they basically tried to kill me not a month ago."

"Well," panted James conversationally. "You are a quite brilliant witch. Though it _is_ probable that they planned to use you for their evil purposes before, you know, offing you."

Lily shrugged, as if they were talking about the weather rather than their possible imminent deaths. "That makes sense."

She knew it looked strange, them sitting there, boneless and trembling on the floor. But she couldn't get up. She couldn't bring herself to let this boy go, to trade in his warmth for the chill in the air. She tightened her grip, the realization of what was to come hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"They're not going to give up, are they? We're targets now."

James ran his hand up and down her back soothingly, as though his touch could absorb and dissipate her fears.

"They were probably trying to rattle Dumbledore's cage, or get to my father using us. And, you know, we'd make good prizes, I suppose. Celebrities and all."

"So we're, what? Feathers in _his_ cap?"

"I can't imagine why else he'd want to go for us. It's not like we're any kind of threat to him. Yet."

They sat in silence, reveling in the fact that they were still alive.

"By the way," asked James. "Your Patronus is a doe?"

"It was, wasn't it? It's the first time I was able to conjure up a full one, so it was a surprise. A doe. Mm. I guess I expected something a little less… Bambi-like, I guess."

"I like does," argued James.

"I'm sure you do, Mr. Prongs."

James stiffened, but was prevented from answering as he heard the clamor down the empty hall.

"Looks like people are coming," murmured James. "Maybe it's Dumbledore."

"How would he know what happened?"

James shrugged. "He's Dumbledore."

Lily accepted his answer and groaned as she straightened, already missing James' closeness. But she moved anyways. It would not do to have her Headmaster see her sprawl herself over the classmate. She, however, did not let go of his hand, the one that was still holding his wand.

With frightening speed, they saw Dumbledore sweep into the corridor, wand at the ready, accompanied with Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick right behind him. Nurse Pomfrey followed them anxiously.

"Mr. Potter, Ms Evans," asked Professor McGonagall, her lips tight. "Are you alright?"

James nodded a response. "We're fine. No one here but us."

Dumbledore nodded and stowed his wand away, still looking Grimm. "Filius, please dispatch an owl to the Ministry informing them that two of my students have been attacked."

The little wizard nodded and was off.

Lily looked at her Headmaster dumbly. "The tire iron – the Portkey. It kept going." James glanced down at the thing in his hand. He was still holding it. With a grimace, he let it go.

Dumbledore nodded as he crouched down to her level. "Yes – if I do say so myself, my Portkey's are usually well casted. I felt a disturbance in the spell, and came as soon as I could." He looked at her kindly. "You, my dear, need to go to the Infirmary."

"I'm alright," started Lily, but a warm trickle down her temple distracted her. She raised her hand to her temple, but James stopped her. "No, Lils, don't. Come on."

With Dumbledore holding one of her hands and James the other, they pulled Lily to her feet as McGonagall conjured a stretcher for her student. Madame Pomfrey had her lie down, and the two women bustled out to the Hospital Wing.

When James made a move to follow her, Dumbledore caught him. "Mr. Potter, I understand that you are worried, and I'm sure you need your rest as well. However, it is imperative that you tell us all you can on what happened."

Reluctantly, James nodded. "Are you going to call my parents?" he asked apprehensively.

"My dear boy, it's already done."

James groaned. "Oh no – Mum's going to go ballistic."

They started back to Dumbledore's office.

"More worried by your mother, are you, Mr. Potter?"

"Have you met my mother?"

"Hmm. Smart boy. I'm sure she'll let you live."

"Not after she learns I got a girl in the hospital wing."

"Better than getting a girl with child, I'd say."

"How –?"

"Mr. Potter, have you met me?"

_Ihateeconandexamsandschoolandiwishtheydalldie_

He was in Dumbledore's magnificent office for a matter of minutes before the fireplace roared to life, parting to let two familiar faces through. Even though they'd seen each other mere hours – maybe even minutes – before, James fell into his mother's arm like he was five again, scared and sorry.

Mrs. Potter sobbed with relief at seeing her son unharmed. "Oh, James," she whispered. Her eyes were moist as she pulled back and cupped his face, like she always did, no matter that James was 16 now and not 6.

"I'm sorry, Mum," he said numbly, barely aware that he sounded just like always had when he'd been a toddler, bewildered and remorseful at seeing his mother upset.

Mrs. Potter shook her head. "No. Don't." She pulled his head down to her shoulder again, and patted his back as he hugged her again. "My baby," she murmured. "Oh, Jamie."

It should have been awkward, but strangely it wasn't. Well, it wasn't now. Odds were, James would probably hang himself from the embarrassment of being called "baby" in front of his Headmaster. At least Slughorn wasn't there. Now that would have been _awful_.

"What happened?" demanded Mr. Potter, ever the professional. "Who is behind this? Has the Ministry been notified?"

Mrs. Potter looked up, suddenly worried. "Where is your friend, James? Lily?"

"She's – " James swallowed. She's fine, just in the Hospital Wing. I – I'm sorry. We weren't careful. I didn't want to upset you, I – I'm really, really sorry, Mum."

Mr. Potter was not as kind. "I expect better from you, James," he said crisply. "You know better by now, and the current situation being what it is, you ought to be more wary, especially when others are with you."

James felt his ears burn with shame – it was true. His carelessness nearly got her –

He felt a warm hand clasp his shoulder before his father pulled him into a tight embrace as well.

"What would we do, James, without you? You must be more cautious. Please, for our sake, at least."

James nodded silently, his head buzzing. He'd never really thought of it that way.

A bang on the door interrupted them. They turned to the sound.

"Oy!" cried a voice from the outside. "Let me in, or I'll blast the bloody door away, I will!"

It was Sirius, furiously banging to be let in.

James glanced at Dumbledore, who waved his wand at the door, which swung open with a creak. Sirius stumbled inside.

"Right then, old man, where is he!?" He looked around, finally catching a sight of James. "Oh, Merlin, James," he groaned. "I thought you were dead." And to James shock – they were best friend, but still, in front of the Headmaster, who took to being called 'old man' surprisingly well – Sirius pulled James in a tight hug. "I thought you were dead."

"No such luck."

Sirius shoved him aside with a weak chuckle, as if to cheer himself up. He cleared his throat, trying to catch a hold of his emotions.

Mrs. Potter sniffled from behind him.

"Oh!" Sirius turned around. "Mum Potter!" In a typically Sirius fashion, he went to Mrs. Potter and hugged her tightly, like he might his own mother – had he felt anything other than disgust and hate towards her, that is.

"Are you alright?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes, thank you, dear," she answered with a tight squeeze. "You're a wonderful friend, to come see James."

Sirius was about to answer, when someone banged through the open door.

"Right then, where is Ja – oh, there you are. Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Professor." Is was Remus, looking disheveled and a bit embarrassed. James was inexorably pleased. At least his friends cared.

_**(A/N: I – I feel like I really should have Peter in this scene but I really can't bring myself to actually write him in. So we'll pretend he went to visit his sick Grandma. Or that he's dead in a ditch. One or the other.)**_

"So, um – erh, then. We heard Lily was in the Hospital Wing, so we got a bit worried. Alright there, Prongs?"

"Other than going over to see my parents to tell them my deepest secret, having them think I got Lily up the spout, then almost being knocked off by a bunch of wankers in black sheets, then yes, I am abso-bloody-lutely smashing, Rem."

There was silence in the room for a moment. Then –

Remus turned to the Potters. "Wait – when he went to see you, you thought James got Lily pregnant?"

Another moment of silent contemplation, before Sirius whispered brokenly,

"_I can't believe I missed it._"

_**Imminentdeathsureisfuntowatch**_

Lily groaned from her hospital bed. "Ow," she muttered, raising her hand to her bandaged forehead.

"No," murmured James. "Don't touch it, you only hurt yourself."

"Wha – what time is it?" the redhead asked groggily, trying to get up. James pushed her back down gently.

"It's late. You need to rest."

"Need to tell Dumbledore – why am I here?"

"A spell grazed your head, and Madam Pomfrey wanted to make sure you hadn't been cursed or hurt permanently. Don't worry, I already talked to Dumbledore and the Ministry, you don't need to think about that. You just need to sleep."

Lily fell back against the pillow. The potions Madam Pomfrey had given her must have made her especially sleepy, because she could hardly think straight.

"You too, James," she whispered.

He shook his head, his jaw tightening. "I'll be fine. I just need to see you, to make sure…"

It had been several hours since he'd left Dumbledore's office after recounting the day's events to his Headmaster, and again to a colleague of his father's in representation of the Ministry. It had taken a long time, and he'd been tired when they were done. After some persuasion, James had convinced his parents to go home for the night, though Mrs. Potter promised they'd be back in the morning to check on him and Lily.

Lily. After he'd grabbed dinner with his mates, he'd immediately went to his dorm room for his cloak, as Madam Pomfrey had banned all visitors – many people wished to see the famous star at her bedside, most of all her friends, Aisha and Alice, though they understood when Madam Pomfrey refused. As if he'd let that stop him.

He'd been at with her for a few hours, unable to leave his vigil and leave her alone, as he tried to think of ways – any ways – to keep her safe and sound.

Lily brought her palm to his cheek. It was warm and dry. Unable to help himself, the teenage boy turned to nuzzle the tiny, cold hand against his face, pressing a kiss in her palm.

"No," she said with a sigh. "Not your fault."

James disagreed, but he let it go. If he'd been more vigilant, if he'd not left the Portkey so far away, if he'd only taken the Floo Network back to Hogwarts, then she wouldn't be here again, all pale skin and red hair against the stark Hospital sheets. All he could think of was to protect her, making sure no one ever hurt her again. He didn't know what he'd do if something were to happen to her.

As tired as Lily was, she quickly realized that he would not leave. Stubborn boy.

She started moving over in her bed, prompting James to get up from his seat. "No, don't move, you'll hurt yourself – "

She ignored him and did her best to make room; before he could stop her, she had grabbed the blankets and peeled them back, inviting James in with her.

"Come on, then," she said sleepily, unaware of the suggestiveness of the action. "You need to rest too, and I'm cold."

James only hesitated for a fraction of a second. It wouldn't be altogether proper, but he found that these days, any excuse to spend more time with the petite singer was good enough for him. He slipped inside the Hospital bed, turning on his side as he gathered the tiny teenager to him. With a sigh, Lily buried her head in his chest, threw her arms around his waist and promptly went back to sleep.

It was still a little bit before James let sleep claim him: he was busy running his hand through her glorious hair, the other around her ribcage as he tried to think of ways to keep her safe from the storm brewing outside the walls of Hogwarts. He found sleep by burying his face against her hair after laying a kiss on her forehead. Right before he drifted off, he though to himself, _I could get used to this_…

**A/N: So? I'm really sorry that it's such a scrawny chapter, but I am so extremely exhausted. I just finished up my last exam for the year this morning after pulling three all-nighters in a row, microeconomics (which I totally bombed, by the way: great way to end the year) and went straight to work on the chapter. I've been feeling so bad about not posting, so this is a bit rushed: I really wanted to post something for you guys. Will probably update in a week or so, I promise! I still have to clean my apartment, pack my bags and move back home for the summer… ergh. SO, please read and review, and drop by my profile page to vote for your fave Flower's Fame character! I'm curious to know which it'll be. Thanks, and much love to you guys, C.Z.**


	27. Little Taste

**A/N: Okay… Okay. I am really, really, really realllllyyyyy sorry!!!! I first want to apologize for being the captain of the failboat for the last few months and not updating. So please, put down the pitchforks!**

**Anywhoo, it's been a weir last few months. I haven't been having writer's block, per se; more like creative block. It's been a bit tough for me – I finishing up college early, and I'm honestly a little burned out so unfortunately the story had to go on the back burner for the time being.**

**I'm still ridiculously busy but I've decided that you guys shouldn't be punished for my failness, so if you've stuck with me, thank you thank you thank you. I will be much better with updating (I got my best friends/neighbors to read this, so every time I talk to them now, they ask me if I've been writing, so I'm sure they'll keep me on schedule).**

**Unfortunately, this only a teaser chapter while I work on the whole thing, just a cute little scene I hope you guys will like. More to come extremely soon, and again, so sorry!**

_James_.

The voice floated in and out of his consciousness. It was hard to concentrate on it – he was so comfortable.

_James_.

He frowned; why was he so warm? It didn't make sense. He was in a small, narrow bed, not his usual canopied four-poster in the Gryffindor dorms. And yet…

_Ja-ames._

It smelled good here. Like cinnamon and calla lilies. Warmth was emanating, but not from him. Something… someone was in the bed with him.

_Oy_!

He tightened his grip around the girl (he hoped it was a girl), bringing her closer to him than ever. She was facing away from him, tucked against his chest, his arms around her waist. It felt soft. It felt blissful.

**POTTER!**

The voice startled James, who started, his hand gripping for his wand for a second before remembering he was in Hogwarts' Hospital Wing, and whoever was calling him probably had no immediate designs to kill him. He cracked his eye open. The world was fuzzy without his glasses, but he recognized the silhouette accosting him.

"Merlin," he croaked. "Padfoot, get lost."

Sirius glared at him fiercely. "Get up, you perv," he hissed. "Before your parents, the Headmaster and the school nurse catch you spooning Little Miss Prefect!"

James frowned, trying to clear the cobwebs from his mind. "What?"

Sirius snorted in exasperation. "Your parents'll be here any minute now, with Dumbledore and Pomfrey to check on Lily, and it might be better for everyone involved if you weren't in her _bed_ when they come in, _capisce_?"

"Um," said James. "Right."

He was loath to leave her, but Sirius was right. Who knows what his mother would say if she saw them together like that! She might start calling the caterers for the wedding.

Oddly, the thought of his mother planning his marriage to a girl he wasn't even technically dating did not fill him with as much horror as he would have thought it would.

He slipped out of Lily's bed, careful not to disturb her. She sighed, frowned, and fidgeted, but didn't wake up. Before he could help himself, he'd smoothed his hand over her lovely red hair and had brushed his lips against her forehead in regret.

"Come on, you creeper!" urged Sirius. With one last lingering touch, James was off.

The two teenage boys walked in silence back to the Tower for a moment, before James caught the side-eyes Sirius was giving him.

"What?" he asked, a bit defensively.

Sirius raised his eyebrow. "You know, I'm the one who turns into a canine and has a doggy namesake, but seriously, James – you're a real dog, you know that?"

James glared at his best friend. "Excuse me? Where the hell is this coming from?"

Sirius threw his hands in the air. "I don't know, maybe from the same place that convinced you to sleep with a girl who's just been attacked by Death Eaters? In the _Hospital Wing_, no less."

"I didn't _sleep_ with her – "

"You know what I mean." Sirius sighed mournfully. "I don't know whether to high five your hand or your face. Do you know how that makes me feel, James?"

James lightly shoved Sirius as they climbed up the staircase, both boys simultaneously skipping the trick step. "It wasn't like that, okay?"

"Sure looked like it."

James grunted, annoyed. "No, mate, she told me to get in with her."

Sirius's eyebrows flew up. "Oh. _Oh_! Oooooohhhh."

Already regretting having told him, James muttered, "Come on, Pad. Stop it."

But Sirius was already running with it. He waggled his eyebrows at his friend.

"So that's how it is. Maneater! Well, I did not see that one coming."

James bumped into Sirius once more intentionally. "No, okay? She was loopy on potions, and – and it wasn't, you know, _like_ that."

Sirius looked at his friend with speculation in his eyes. "Did you want it to be like that?"

James didn't answer.

"I dunno, mate," said Sirius. He glanced at his best friend. "She sounds like a pretty complicated bint."

James shrugged in answer.

"You know – pop star, student, orphan, Death Eater target…"

James scrubbed his hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter to me, Siri. Not to mention the fact that I'm a Quidditch player, I'm a student, and I'm a Death Eater target too, so…"

Sirius shrugged. "Okay then. It's your life. Besides," he mused. "I hear the complicated birds are the best in bed. Apparently, they're crazy – "

One more look from his best friend convinced him that going on in that vein would not end well, and Padfoot subsequently went quiet.

**A/N: Sorry for the delay/shortness! I'm working on the full thing right now. I'll post it within two weeks, so please please review, drop me a line and let me know how you guys feel.**

**ALSO!!!**

**LITTLE NOTE: PLEASE READ "BUTTER SIDE UP" MY RELATED ONE SHOT ABOUT JAMES' PARENTS AS REQUESTED! Read and review, let me know if you liked it!**


	28. Speechless

**A/N: Hey everybody.**

**I'm so sorry (again) that this chapter is ridiculously late. In November, right before I was about to start working on this chapter, my grandfather passed away. I left Canada, where I'm studying, to go to France, where my extended family lives, for the funeral. So, the past few months have been pretty hardcore for me, and I'm sorry that I wasn't ready to pick this up for a bit of time. I felt like I owe you guys, especially the readers who have been with me for a bit of time, a bit of an explanation. I'd like to apologize for the wait, and I hope you guys will like this. Happy belated 2010 – here's to hoping it's a great year. **

**_Chapter 28: Speechless_**

Lily groaned. Her head was pounding, and she felt nauseous, the same feeling she'd gotten when she'd fallen off her broom in a mock Quidditch game with Professor Rawk during her first year. She opened her eyes, blinking fuzzily, her eyesight being greeted by the all-familiar sight of the white Hospital Wing ceiling.

"Again?" she spoke aloud to herself. "What is this, the twelfth time this year?"

"Actually," answered Madam Pomfrey as she swept in the room. "It's the fourth time."

"How long have I been here?"

"Just about two days, dearie. You slept all of yesterday. Did you a world of good."

"Ergh," Lily growled eloquently, still half asleep. "This is getting ridiculous."

"I'd say," said Madam Pomfrey drily. "Your fans have practically set up camp outside. Not to mention your friends have threatened to break down the Hospital Wing door more than once."

With a shake of her head, Lily lifted her head. "Good Merlin. What happened this time?"

Madam Pomfrey shot her a worried look. "Don't you remember, dear?"

Lily grimaced. Of course. Going to see James' parents, walking back to the Portkey, the ambush… James!

Lily sat up suddenly and made to get out of bed. "Where's James?" she asked urgently.

"He's fine," said Madam Pomfrey with a scowl. "Now get back in bed! You were almost cursed!"

Lily sat back once more, muttering, "Yeah, not the first time this year."

Madam Pomfrey bustled out of the room, grumbling under her breath.

Lily sat back in her pillows with a sigh.

_The Dark Lord has eyes everywhere. He knows everything. He knows of you._

She rolled herself on her side, clutching her pillow under the covers.

_But beware – there shall soon be consequences to your refusal._

"Are you sure you're ready to go?" Madam Pomfrey asked Lily worriedly. "I'd rather you stay here for at least another day."

Lily didn't look up as she buttoned up her blouse. "I'll be fine. I didn't really get cursed, the spell only grazed me."

"Yes, but –"

Lily interrupted the nurse, hoping to her feet. "I've missed too much school. I really should get back to class."

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips, but didn't argue. With another shake of her head, she contended herself with advising Lily to eat plenty of chocolate and come back immediately if she was starting to feel ill.

The redhead nodded absently, still intent on righting her clothing. She took a deep breath and grabbed her cloak. "Thanks, Madam Pomfrey. I will." She swept out the room.

It was cool and damp in the corridors – refreshing, after the almost stifling warmth of the Hospital Wing. Lily took a deep breath, adjusted her glasses, and made her way back to the Gryffindor tower as if nothing was wrong.

She was almost halfway up a staircase when she felt something tugging at her skirt.

A Hufflepuff second year stood there, looking terrified and red cheeked. A gaggle of what were obviously her friends were clustered at the foot of the stairs, looking up at them with wide-eyed uncertainty. Other students started slowing down, eyes glued on the two figures on the stairs.

"Um," started the 12-year-old girl, obviously nervous. "I – I just wanted to know if, you know, you – you were alright. I mean – people have been saying…" her voice trailed off and she started wringing her hands, unsure as how to proceed.

For a second, Lily felt a bubble of irrational rage rise up to her throat. _Of course I'm not alright! _She felt like screaming at the watching crowd._ What's wrong with you? What am I, a circus sideshow? Can't you just leave me alone! I just wish you were all dead!_

Faced with Lily's long silence, the little Hufflepuff started to back away slowly, white faced and upset. She looked almost… scared.

Immediately Lily felt shame burning up her stomach like bile. It wasn't this girl's fault her life was falling apart, was it? All she wanted was to see if she was alright.

_She doesn't really care_, a voice sneered in her voice. _She doesn't love you. She loves Flora. You're nothing without her. Nothing._

Lily turned towards the girl completely. Now utterly unnerved, the girl took a step backwards, and almost fell backwards over the next step.

Lily crouched swiftly, and grabbed one of the girl's hands, righting her. "Are you okay?" She asked, deliberately gentling her voice.

"Yes," the little blonde responded breathlessly. "Yes. Sorry. Sorry."

The sixteen year old gave her a beaming smile. "Don't worry about it. And, I'm fine, thank you for asking. That was very sweet of you."

"Oh," said the little girl, now pink with pleasure. "That's good. I was, um, my friends, and I, we're fans, we, we were worried. Um, so that's, uh, good!"

"Marvelous," said Lily with another smile. She straightened. "Have a great day, okay?"

"Yes," said the girl, now looking at Lily not with trepidation, but with adoration. "Yes, thank you."

With a lightness she didn't feel, Lily gave the girl a smile and a wave before continuing on her way. Galvanized, other people that met her in the corridors, started calling out to her.

"Glad to see you're good!"

"Hiya, Lily!"

"Hey, Flor!"

Lily kept her smile plastered on, returning the niceties with a smile a wave. "Thank you, I'm great. Just a scratch."

For some reason, seeing her seemed to reassure her fellow students, to cheer them up somehow. Love them or hate them, Lily's and James' recent altercation and subsequent "victory" had had a positive influence on the school. In a corner of her mind, Lily understood. The rise of – of _him_ had started to weigh heavy on many a students' minds, especially the older ones. Seeing one of theirs – one as famous as Flor, nonetheless – face down his minions and come out relatively unscathed was a great morale booster. Not everyone loved her or her music, but today, she was celebrated as one of their own.

Too bad Lily didn't exactly see it that way.

She didn't feel unscathed, or brave, or lucky, or anything other than utterly miserable. As the day went on, those feelings did nothing but intensify.

She wanted to crawl under a rock and never talk to anyone ever again. Seeing people, hearing them whisper about what had happened, her so called "courage", made her sick to stomach. She hadn't felt brave or heroic when she'd been scrambling for her life. She was almost grateful for the snide remarks from some of the students (the majority, Lily noted sourly, being Slytherins), confirming what she already knew. She was pathetic. She hated herself, for being so famous, so scared, so angry at the world. She felt like a fraud.

_Stop looking at me!_ She wanted to shout in the middle of class. When teachers paused when they saw her come through the door, she wanted to scream at them for asking how she was, for praising her. She hated everyone and everything and herself and Flor and she just wanted people to stop looking at her talking about her just _stop stop __**stop**_

"Lily."

The Gryffindor girl looked up, startled. It was the last class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

James. It was James.

He sported a few bandages, and looked a bit worse for wear, but for the most part he didn't seem _too_ bad. He was staring at her in concern.

"Are you okay?" His eyes were warm and worried and Lily couldn't, just couldn't right now, couldn't look at his eyes and be fine, talk to him like it was all okay. To anyone else, maybe, but not to him. Just his eyes were making her come undone.

"Fine," she muttered. "Don't worry about it."

"Hey," James said, lowering his voice. He hadn't failed to notice the fact that they held the rapt attention of the rest of the class. "Are you sure? Shouldn't you be in the – "

Professor Burns strode into the room, her hair neatly up, lips pursed.

Burns was a generally well-regarded and well-liked teacher. She was strict, but she was fair – except when it came to Lily Evans.

For reasons unknown, Burns had always had dislike of the redhead, a fact that was becoming excruciatingly obvious. Since her 'identity' had been revealed, Burns had become insufferable.

**(A/N: If you go back to the Half-Blood Prince, you'll realize that the position of DADA is cursed at Hogwarts, by Voldemort, after Dumbledore refused him the job. One problem, though – I have no idea when exactly this happened, which makes it hard to calibrate exactly how to deal with the DADA teacher… I'm going to simply have, in this story, Burns be the professor, as she has been for a few years. Whether or not she stays DADA teacher is another matter entirely. :?**

Lily didn't know it, but Professor Burns hadn't forgotten the ridicule she'd been meted out with when she had voiced her suspicions concerning the petite student, thinking it might have been Flor. Upon finding out the truth, instead of feeling vindicated, she took it almost as a personal offense, one Lily Evans had exacted upon her, and she was apparently eager to even the score. With her caramel eyes and light orange hair, Burns was usually not someone that was particularly intimidating – but at that moment, she didn't look exactly approachable, either.

"To your seats, please," she snapped crisply, and James reluctantly slid to his desk, where Sirius was waiting for him.

Burns glanced around the room, and her eyes rested on Lily. They narrowed in what could only be malevolence. "Ah, Miss Evans. So glad that you could join us today."

Normally, Lily would have blushed or looked down, but today, she wasn't in the mood to pander to Burns. She stared right back at her stonily, and didn't respond.

But it seemed the professor was not quite ready to let it go. Evans' apathetic expression only seemed to stoke her ire, and she settled back, sitting on her desk, smirking at the piece of parchment floating in front of her.

"You've missed quite a bit of class, haven't you, Miss Evans? Now, that won't do. Detention." With a flick of her quill, she scribbled something on her parchment.

James made to get up, as murmurs erupted in the class. "Hey, that's not –" Sirius grabbed him.

"Don't, James," muttered Lily, in no mood to argue. "Let it go. It's not important."

"Not important?" the words hug in the glacial air. The rest of room froze, riveted upon the unfolding scene. Most of them had suspected that there was no love lost between Burns and Evans, but it was the first bit of concrete proof they'd had.

Lily knew what Burns wanted. She wanted a fight. She wanted her to say something that would get her in trouble. But today, Lily wasn't particularly impressed with her. She supposed she should be daunted by her teacher's obvious vitriol, but after the past few days, _months_, really, that she'd been having, Burn's threats had lost their impact, to say the least. After Deat heaters, Burns was exactly threatening. Not that the professor was deterred.

"On the contrary, Miss Evans," every word dripped with disdain. "I would have to say it is very important. No doubt you believe your – shall we say, _celebrity_ – status exempts you from the same duties as your peers, but I can assure you that in this class, this entitled behavior will not be tolerated. I allow for no overindulged impudence in my classroom."

Students glanced at each other, mouths agape and eyebrows raised. Even for the acid tongued Burns, that was going quite a bit far. They looked to Lily, to see if she would take affront, or back down.

She did neither. She merely say back and rolled her eyes – nothing overly exaggerated, but enough to make clear that Lily wasn't remotely interested in what Burns had just told her.

This did not sit well with Burns, who had clearly expected some sort of retort.

"Nothing to say, then, Miss Evans? Well, perhaps a little more discipline will instill some respect for your elders. One week's detention."

This time, Lily couldn't stifle her snort. "Whatever," she muttered.

Incensed at the teenager's flippant attitude, Burns straightened. "Make it a month," she hissed. "Maybe you think your so called fame and money will be enough to blind the other professors to your spoiled attitude, Miss Evans but –"

"Whatever," repeated Lily, emphasizing the word as she cut her teacher off. Alice shot her a panicked look, as if pleading with her friend not to bait her professor. But Lily was beyond reason. "Give me detention for the rest of the year, I don't care."

Burns eyes bulged. Enraged, yet, like any bully, unused with opposition, she could barely choke out words. "You – I have never – you had better apologize immediately or I'll – "

Lily felt the bile rise to her throat once more, as it had earlier on the staircase, except no voice of reason stayed her now. She'd had enough of this – this insignificant _bully_ taking her bitterness out on her whenever she felt like it. Was she going to spend her life lying down and taking it? Like a – like a bitch!

_Flora would never let anyone talk to her like that. Flor would never. But then, she's strong. She's confident. You – you're nothing. Little nothing Evans. _

Well, not today.

"Or you'll what?" challenged Lily. "What are you going to do? Send me to detention? Give me a T?" She snorted. "Yeah, whatever. This is a joke. You're a joke. You know what? I don't give a damn."

The class gaped at the outburst. Sirius felt a smile spread onto his face. Well, well. Looks like Evans had grown a spine. James knew how to pick them, he really did. He clapped his hand on his best mate's shoulder, who looked on in fascinated horror. Something was terribly wrong with Lily, he could tell, but finally seeing her stand up to Burns was – well, James Potter had seen a lot of amazing things in this life, and this – was absolutely one of them.

A suddenly as the anger had swept over Lily, it left, leaving her cold, tired and empty. She felt the abrupt need to get out of the classroom – all eyes were on her – she was suffocating – _drowning in a sea of colored petals_ –

"Do whatever the hell you want. Write a letter. Have me scrub some trophies. I could care less." And with that, Lily Evans pushed back her chair hard enough to topple it, grabbed her bag, and swept out of the room.

"Lil- " started Aisha, but her friend didn't stop or turn back. In a matter of seconds, she was gone, leaving behind a squawking Burns promising retribution.

James made to get up.

Remus and Sirius grabbed his shirt simultaneously. "No, mate," hissed Sirius. "Burns'll fry you before you're halfway out the door."

"But Lily – "

"I think she needs to be alone now, James," murmured Remus. "Give her some space. She needs it."

James, still conflicted, kept his eyes to the door as whispers broke out all over the room.

"Silence! Silence!" screeched Burns, but few people were paying attention to her as they whispered furiously to each other. James ran his hand through his hair.

What was wrong with Lily?

Lily didn't even know where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get away, and get away now, before she truly snapped and did something irreparable.

Before long, she was to the music room.

It was a long abandoned place, filled with neglected and temperamental instruments that liked to play themselves during the night, and was usually avoided by students lest they be assaulted by angry piccolos and moody trombones.

Lily liked to sit in the room sometimes and listen to the instruments play. The string section had become especially fond of her, and always welcomed her with cheerful harps, accompanied by mournful cellos, giving her entrance a sense of classic gravitas.

The redhead pushed the door open with a defeated sigh. The violins perked up at her entrance, but as good instruments were wont to do, read the atmosphere and begun playing a morose tune to match her mood.

Lily sidled in between the instruments, finally settling at he grand piano in the middle of the road. She caressed the ivory keys, which almost purred in enjoyment.

_They don't love you. They love Flora._

The percussion instruments stilled, as if waiting for her cue. Did they expect her to play?

Well, why not? Isn't that what she was good at? The _only_ thing she was good at? They only reason she was loved, was valued, was threatened?

_If it weren't for Flora, no one would want to kill you._

_If it weren't for Flora, no one would want to love you._

A minor chord, A C A.

Pedal.

D B G.

C A F. C A F.

_I can't believe what you said to me_

_Last night when we were alone_

_You threw your hands up_

_Baby you gave up, you gave up_

_I can't believe how you looked at me_

_With your James Dean glossy eyes_

_In your tight jeans with your long hair_

_And your cigarette stained lies_

_Could we fix you if you broke?_

_And is your punch line just a joke?_

_I'll never talk again_

_Oh boy you've left me speechless_

_You've left me speechless, so speechless_

_And I'll never love again,_

_Oh boy you've left me speechless_

_You've left me speechless, so speechless_

You're nothing without her.

_I can't believe how you slurred at me_

_With your half wired broken jaw_

_You popped my heart seams_

_On my bubble dreams, bubble dreams_

_I can't believe how you looked at me_

_With your Johnnie Walker eyes_

_He's gonna get you and after he's through_

_There's gonna be no love left to rye_

He know of you

_And I know that it's complicated_

_But I'm a loser in love_

_So baby raise a glass to mend_

_All the broken hearts_

_Of all my wrecked up friends_

Nothing nothing at all

_I'll never talk again_

_Oh boy you've left me speechless_

_You've left me speechless so speechless_

_I'll never love again,_

_Oh friend you've left me speechless_

_You've left me speechless, so speechless_

Her eyes were blurring, her fingers were shaking, but her voice remained steady. After all, she was a professional. The piano didn't hesitate to help her, hitting the right key should she miss it. But her voice never wavered.

_And after all the drinks and bars that we've been to_

_Would you give it all up?_

_Could I give it all up for you?_

_And after all the boys and girls that we've been through_

_Would you give it all up?_

_Could you give it all up?_

_If I promise boy to you_

_That I'll never talk again_

_And I'll never love again_

_I'll never write a song_

_Won't even sing along_

_I'll never love again_

_So speechless_

_You left me speechless, so speechless_

_Why you so speechless, so speechless?_

_Will you ever talk again?_

_Oh boy, why you so speechless?_

_You've left me speechless so speechless_

_Some men may follow me_

_But you choose "death and company"_

_Why you so speechless? Oh oh oh_

She rested her forehead on the piano, breathing heavily.

**A/N: Hey guys again. Thanks for sticking with me. Your support means so much to me, and I hope you'll take a second to let me know what you thought. I know I probably don't deserve it, after my long absences and broken promises, but it would really help. I'm doing my best to be more consistent. Also, I just got a LiveJournal account, so if you guys want to check it out, my name is crystalzelda. There's not much on there, but I'll probably post some stuff soon, like art I've been working on, but it would be cool to hear from you guys. And this song was Speechless, by Lady Gaga. Check her out if you haven't – I'm a massive fan of hers, and the Fame Monster, from which this song is from, has been a huge source of support and comfort for me in the past few months. Thank you.**

**To my grandfather.**


	29. Never Miss Class

**A/N: Let's get to the point then, bbs?**

_Chapter 29: Never Miss Class_

When Lily finally lifted her head from the piano keys, she realized that more time had passed than she'd originally thought.

"Bollocks," she muttered as she glanced at her wristwatch. She'd missed History of Magic.

Not that it mattered. The ancient Mr. Binns, who Lily suspected of having a mild form of dementia, still called her Miss Yvonne after six years in his class. Still, Lily had always prided herself in being a good student and not letting her double life interfere with her studies. Not anymore. "Is nothing sacred?" she wondered aloud to herself. The trombone floating past her left shoulder could only blow pathetically at Lily. She gave it a dirty look. "Well, thanks for rubbing it in," she sniffed, but the trombone retorted with a loud, off-key blow, which sounded suspiciously like a child blowing a raspberry.

"Great," Lily told the rest of the instruments. "I get insulted by a teacher _and_ an instrument, all in the same afternoon. I love my life."

A flute trilled suspiciously. "It's called _sarcasm_– oh, never mind." Lily threw her hands up, grabbed her bag, and made her way to the teacher's lounge.

As Lily neared the lounge, she started having second thoughts. What if Professor Burns was in there? She felt a trill of horror run up her spine. Burns was probably the last person she wanted to see right now, Lord Vo – _him_ excluded. But Lily, a pure Gryffindor, steeled her shoulders and marched on. She had to see Professor Binns and explain – why she felt the need, as the old gaffer barely even knew what year she was in, she didn't know, but her rigorousness in academics compelled her to go see her professor and at least attempt to find out what they'd covered in class today, as well as apologize for missing (yet another) lesson.

At the door, Lily took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Professor Binns? ..."

The door swung open with a resentful creak. The lounge was empty, she could see, save for one armchair facing the fire under a tapestry bearing the Hogwarts logo.

The armchair was occupied. A hand dangled out from its arm, and Lily could tell it was Professor Binns – his ink splattered hands were unmistakable.

"Professor?" No response. Should I wake him up? Lily thought, and decided to venture closer. He was a little hard of hearing, so maybe he hadn't noticed her.

"Professor Binns?" the fire, brightly lit despite it being the middle of the day, threw shadows across the room – it was oddly dark – the curtains were drawn, it was raining outside. Lily glanced at the cup of tea sitting on the end table next to the armchair before touching the handle with her fingertip– it was half drunk and cold to the touch.

Lily finally steeled herself to take a good look at Binns, just to make sure he was alright, that he was just sleeping…

He looked fine. Eyes closed, head down, he was obviously asleep. It was only mildly surprising that his chest didn't seem to be moving much, that he hadn't stirred since she'd come in… Lily extended a trembling hand towards' Binns own wrist. "Professor? ..."

His skin was cool.

Lily took a step back, and before she had a chance to react, something caught her eye.

Through the wall, something pale and translucent was sliding into the room –

"Miss Endvane, what are you doing here? This is the teacher's lounge!"

It was Professor Binns. There, transparent, floating. A ghost. She looked down at Binns in the armchair. That meant that he was…

"_Aaaaaaaieeeeeeeeeeh!"_

Her shriek echoed throughout the empty halls of Hogwarts.

*itsalrightdaijobu*

A scream rang out. James immediately pulled his wand out and started running towards the sound. He had been looking for Lily all day, impatient with Remus', Sirius' and Peter's assurances that Lily had to be left alone. She'd missed History of Magic! She was the only one who actually _liked_ that class. However, all thoughts of his friends flew right out of his mind as the shriek died down.

Where had it come from? He paused for a second, confused, caught between going towards the grand staircase, or turning towards the fifth floor hall.

As he was about to head down to the staircase, he caught sight of Dumbledore, robes swishing, turning towards the fifth floor, wand raised.

James ran to catch up with his Headmaster, who didn't bat an eyelash. "Stay behind me, Mr. Potter," he merely said.

When they finally arrived at the teacher's lounge – was that where the sound had come from? – with Professor McGonagall in tow, who had rejoined them 25 feet back, they we met with the sight of Lily, skull white, plastered against the wall, wand at her feet. Her eyes were huge and wild, her mouth open in horror. James ran to her, past Professor Dumbledore, who had turned his attention to the ajar door of the lounge.

"Lily," James said urgently, grabbing her shoulders. "Lily, what's wrong?"

She didn't answer. Her eyes still glassy, she stared straight past James.

"Lily, what the – "

Lily let out a horrified gasp and in a rare display, scrambled closer to James, burying her head his chest. James turned to see what Lily had been looking at, one arm around her, the other with his wand at the ready.

As he saw what emerged through the door, his eyes widened, and his wand arm started wavering. "Oh, Merlin," he could only let out.

Something white and transparent bulged through the door. Was it the Fat Friar? But no – it was –

"Professor Binns?" he gasped.

Professor McGonnagal lowered her wand, completely lost for words. Dumbledore let out a sad sigh, him too tucking his wand away. "Hello, Cuthbert."

The ghost turned towards Dumbledore. "Ah, hello, Albus," he addressed the Headmaster, one of the only people who's name he remembered correctly. "I tell you, these students, they are getting more and more emotionally fragile. See this one, getting hysterical at the drop of the hat! I tell you, they don't make them like they used to."

"What!" yelped Lily indignantly. A crowd had started gathering, filling the corridor with horrified gasps, little screams, and some cries of "Cool!" from particularly excitable boys. One glum voice could be heard, "A _ghost_? Does that mean he'll _still_ be teaching History of Magic?"

Lily pushed herself out of James' arms, eyes still wild. "_I'm_ hysterical? You're dead!" She threw her arms in the air, voice turning shrill. "_Dead_!"

Binns snorted. "Nonsense!"

"You died! Oh, my God, he's dead. I can't believe this. THERE IS A DEAD BODY IN THE TEACHER'S LOUNGE. A DEAD MAN." Lily was becoming paler and paler, her legs threatening to give out from under her. Her hands were trembling.

James, feeling very shaken himself, moved to grab her arm. "Lily, try to calm down –"

"Calm down? A MAN IS DEAD! How can I be calm?"

"There's nothing we can do –"

During the argument, McGonagall had gone into the lounge, and now came back, almost walking through Binns.

"Old age," she said with a shake of her head.

Dumbledore sighed again, regarding the absented minded Professor. "I'm quite sorry, Cuthbert."

Binns hesitated for a moment, then merely shook his head. "Oh, bother. I have other things to do. Class starts in 15 minutes, you know." And with that, he departed, sliding through the walls. Lily watched him go, mouth agape, slightly shaking her head.

"I've gone mad," she said quietly. "The world has completely gone mad."

"Lily, it's not that big of a – " Lily shook James off with a bat of her hands. "No. Don't. I – I – " She shook her head, bent down to grab her wand, before turning and running out. Students parted to make way for her, whispering all the while.

James turned towards Dumbledore, lost for words.

Dumbledore regarded him kindly. "Miss Evans is Muggleborn, Mr. Potter. She is not used to seeing the dearly departed rise again as ghosts."

"But there's dozens of ghosts in Hogwarts," argued James.

"None of whom she knew when they were alive." Dumbledore clasped his shoulder. "And she's gone through many happenings recently. She might be feeling a little unsure these days." He nodded towards the direction in which Lily had left. "Perhaps you should go find her."

James stepped back, ready to do as Dumbledore told him, but wavering. "You don't think she needs to be alone right now?"

"I think what Miss Evans needs right now is a friend."

James nodded. It was all he needed to hear. With that, he spun around and took off at a dead run.

Dumbledore watched him leave. McGonagall looked to him. "What shall we do with Binns?" she asked in a low voice.

Dumbledore turned towards her, voice just as low. "Clear out the students. We'll take him down to the dungeons, and arrange for a proper burial this weekend."

As McGonagall left, Dumbledore murmured under his breath. "Death is but the next great adventure…"

Lily could only think to get away. Dead! The man had died. How could it be possible? She'd seen him just a few days ago, absentmindedly munching on buttered toast at breakfast before sticking his elbow in the marmalade. And how he was a ghost, sliding through walls and acting like nothing had happened.

It was raining outside, but she didn't care. She had to get away, and fast. She made her way through the rainy courtyard to get to the other side, where a solitary open air garden was boxed in a bit further. There would be a roof overhead, and peace.

It was in sight. It was a lovely walled in garden, niched between four walls, with a small entrance leading to it, an offshoot of the main courtyard. There was a little stone bench there with a sun dial and a bird bath; a small stone roof that covered about half of the garden was arched overhead. The walls were covered in ivy, and the garden was redolent with dark plants with deep blue and purple leaves, dark green flowers, and prickly bushes. It was small, deserted and quiet, save for the lazy raindrops that fell on the roof.

Lily finally got to the garden, and was just about to collapse on the stone bench when –

"Lily."

She whirled around, trembling wand at the ready. It was James. His shirt was open, his glasses askew. His hair and shirt seemed wet, as if he too had been exposed to the elements. For all his dishevelment, James still looked like something of a Greek demigod, freshly sprung from a tapestry, here to… to do what, she didn't exactly know.

His physical perfection on made her hyperaware of how she must look – damp, with her hair tangled, bags under her eyes and a paleness that must make her look pasty and anemic. Imagine being seen by a boy in such a state – Aisha and Alice would be horrified.

Her arm wavered. "Just go away, Potter," she chocked out.

"I can't," he only answered.

She let out a sob, pushing some of her hair out of her face. "God, I can't take this. Just – just – " She couldn't finish. Her eyes blurred and her chest tightened to the point where she could only gasp.

James made a move to go to Lily, but she jerked her wand up. "No," she said, attempting to get a hold of herself. "Merlin, Potter. Can't you tell I need a moment?"

"You need more than a moment. You need dry clothes, tea, and a friend."

She let out a burst of hysterical laughter. "A _friend_? I need a _friend_? Tea and girl talk will not solve my problems! When I wake up tomorrow, I will have the same problems. I still won't be able to go outside without 10 students looking at me, whispering, observing my every move – I still won't know where that _psycho_ is that tried to _kill_ me – " At that point, the tears spilled and fell down her face.

"And _him_ outside waiting for us," she sobbed, finally letting her wand clatter to the ground. "I'm so tired," Lily gasped, covering her face in her hands. The words drained from her like poison. "I'm so scared. If it wasn't for this stupid – singing and whatnot, he wouldn't know I even _existed_. And now he _does_, and he's gunning for me, and I don't – I can't–"

Warm arms embraced her. James held her close as she continued to cry brokenheartedly in his arms.

"What am I going to do?" she whimpered, the sound muffled by James' shirt.

"Shh," James whispered. He rocked her in his arms, trailing his hands over the curve of her spine, rubbing her back. He nuzzled her hair lovingly. "We'll get through this together. We'll be fine, don't you worry. I won't leave, I promise."

Antagonized, Lily raised her head. "You can't promise things like that. People change, and you have yourself to worry about – "

"No," he said, interrupting her words. "That won't change. I'll always be there for you, no matter what. And we will be alright. We can't let him dictate our lives." His voice dropped to a low murmur. His hands now rested on her hips lazily. "We'll be fine, you and me. I promise."

"Promise you can't keep." Here eyes were lidded, she felt heavy and warm in his arms. She could only keep her hands on his chest. She flexed them, feeling the definition of his muscles under the wet linen. She noticed a scent coming from him – it smelled like rain, soap, and _boy_ and it was weird and intoxicating at the same time –

One of his hands was on her hip now, the other was at her cheek. She opened her eyes to see his face close to hers, so close they could touch. She could feel his hot breath on her cheek, her neck – his lips moved, what did it say? It looked like _Lily_ – and before she knew it, pressure on her lips. His.

His lips were hot, and wet. The second they touched hers, blood rushed to her face; she stood on her toes to get closer to him, pushing her body into his – his arms tightened against her, his hand slipping under her shirt at the small of her back. His hand was so warm, her flesh so cold, she moaned and strained closer.

She couldn't think, she was breathing too fast. She could feel him against her, his lips parted and she could feel something hot, wet and sweet lick at her lips. Her arms were firmly around him, gripping his back, running through his hair. He only tightened his grip, his breath as heavy as hers. Her heart felt like it was going to burst –

"James," she whispered. "James." He kissed her once more, hard on the lips, and started scattering small kisses along her jaw line, her neck. Her head fell back – there was a roaring in her ears, she could barely gasp for breath – his arm was running up her back now, lifting her shirt a bit, his other hand moving lower and lower against her – she gasped –

A crash of thunder interrupted them. The sky – what they could see of it under the make shift gazebo – lit up, the boom of the lightning causing Lily to strain against James' arms as she was startled back. "Oh, my God," she huffed, looking up at the overcast heavens. As the echo faded, Lily realized that she was, in the middle of Hogwarts, dripping wet in a courtyard in the arms of an equally soaked boy with whom she had just shared her first kiss. "Oh, my God," she repeated. His face looked equally dazed, as if James himself wasn't quite sure what had happened. She could see faint traces of her lip balm on his face and lips. His glasses were askew, his hair messier than usual, his face flushed. One of his hands was still against her back, the other resting against her –her _bum_.

"Oh, my _God_."

Thunder crashed.

**A/N: Oh hey guys. Sorry about this being late – like every time. :/ This semester has been pretty tough, and my other grandfather died recently, so that was another shock to the system. On the bright side, I'm almost done with my degree – taking classes over the summer to finish up and then I'll take a year off before going off to grad school, which means more time to write – yay!**

**Hope you liked the scene – sorry, I am the biggest nun ever so I have 0 experience in this kind of stuff, save from reading Lisa Kleypas novels (cause I'm cool like that) so hopefully it wasn't too bad. Hope you enjoyed it~. I'm going to do my best to update ASAP.**

**Please please don't forget to review and give me some feedback, I would love and appreciate you forever; it really means a lot to me. **


	30. Stand In Your Arms

**A/N: Jesus. It took me forever to update this… I thought about this story extremely often, guys, I just got stuck. I'm really sorry.**

**I don't deserve you guys to stick with me through this, but I am so close to actually finishing this story and concluding it properly. It will be done by the end of this summer so please, please stick with me for just a little more time and it will be finished. Thank you so much for your time, support and for reading this story.**

_RECAP~ Lily Evans lives a double life as a student and a famous singer, Flora Hyacinthus. She tries to juggle her double responsibilities and gets acquainted with James Potter and Ric Lyon, a professional Quidditch player. Lily/Flor begins being harassed by an obsessed reporter while she gets embroiled in a court case when a family sues Flor when their daughter commits suicide while listening to one of her albums. Lily discovers that the reporter who was harassing her has influenced the family of the dead girl, pushing them to sue, and decides to fight back._

_In the meantime, someone at Hogwarts unleashes Cerberus in the Great Hall, forcing Lily to sing the beast to sleep, revealing her true identity to her classmates. She then goes to the court to fight the charges against her, but is shot by her harasser. Lily recovers, and it is revealed her harasser was a Death Eater and gets sent to Azkaban. Lily learns that Ric Lyon is just James Potter in disguise, like her, and that Lord Voldemort marks them both for murder when they are intercepted by Death Eaters. They escape, and in the aftermath kiss._

_Lol this soap opera… I started this story when I was like 14. But I will finish it. I have to. And soon, before I start grad school in the fall. Jesus, I started this at the beginning of high school…_

_Chapter 30: Stand In Your Arms_

Lily looked around as she landed gracefully on the grass. Thanks to years of rigorous dancing classes and hopping around on uneven stages in stilettos, she had long learned the art of balance.

It was cold and windy, though the sun was shining and the skies were clear. An excited buzz hummed throughout the clearing. All of the visitors milling around had been convoked to the deserted Quidditch pitch by the managers and owners of Puddlemere United for an as of yet unknown reason. All sorts of terribly important people – Quidditch players, retired and active; trainers and journalists; Ministry Officials and civilians lucky enough to have scored a Portkey to the location – were waiting with anticipation for the coming announcement. There was only one kind of news that would warrant such an unorthodox, impromptu meeting – the juicy kind.

Lily, of course, knew exactly what was coming. It was James' big announcement, and for some reason she had felt compelled to be there as he exposed himself to the limelight. He'd reasoned that since Voldemort apparently already knew, there was really no point to keep it a secret any longer, and it was high time to come out with it. Tactfully, James had arranged for as many people to be convoked to the field so as to gather as many possible witnesses should his father decide to murder him after all. Like he told Sirius, he'd still be dead but at least the culprit would be caught. Remus had reminded the both of them drily that Mr. Potter was smart enough to off James and make it look like an accident, so there really was no need for such a spectacle. Nevertheless, here they were – and there, in the corner, already seated, were Remus, Sirius and Peter. Lily decided impulsively to sit with them before some journalist caught wind of her presence. She was wearing a red coat, a green hat and sunglasses, but why take the chance?

She sat in the row before them.

"Hello, boys," she said lightly.

"Hiya, Lily," returned Remus politely. "How are you?"

"Good, good. That Charms essay will be the death of me though. Killer."

Peter nodded enthusiastically. "_I know!_ It's so complicated, I – "

Sirius cut him off. "What are _you_ doing here? Come to watch the show, have you? How'd you even get out of the castle?"

"I have my ways," Lily said airily. Actually, what she had was a concert, thus earning her a weekend pass from Dumbledore, but he didn't need to know that. It was much more entertaining to remain aloof and mysterious.

Before Sirius had a chance to continue grilling her, a man plopped himself down next to her and stretched out his long legs. He was wearing a navy pea coat and a jaunty fedora that looked utterly ridiculous on him.

Lily giggled despite herself. "James, what _are_ you wearing?"

He glanced skyward. "What? I thought you Muggles loved those hats. I think it's quite dashing."

Lily smiled to herself. She had to admit that the hat had a certain charm. Or maybe that was just James, it was hard to tell.

"Why aren't you back there, preparing your speech? Aren't you nervous?"

James waived her concern away. "This particular public appearance won't feature bludgers or angry beaters, so no, not particularly. I just wanted to come over here to visit my friends and my girl. Is that a crime?"

Lily snorted and shook her head, though inside her heart gave a little jump.

It had been a week or so since James had kissed her – snogged her, really – and she'd been avoiding him like the plague ever since. She'd convinced herself that he had been suffering from temporary insanity at the time, and was not, indeed, interested in her in any romantic capacity.

"You don't even like me."

"Who told you that? Because if it was Sirius, he's just jealous."

"I heard that, Prongs!"

"Go away, Sirius, I'm trying to talk to my girlfriend."

"I am NOT your girlfriend," said Lily sternly. She was acutely aware that the three boys behind them were listening avidly.

"Well, you obviously like me, or you wouldn't have kissed me." James murmured with a roguish wink.

"I kissed you? You kissed me!" she hissed.

"You didn't push me off."

"What's your point?"

"You were into it!"

"HOW would you know that, you misogynistic pig?"

"Feisty. I like that. You didn't exactly knee me in the groin when I did."

"That doesn't mean anything. Maybe you just surprised me."

"So I surprise molested you?"

"I never said – "

"Did I molest you? Because all joking aside, I would never – "

James sat up, looking worried. Lily quelled him with one look.

"I know."

They were silent for a moment, looking at the people that filled the normally deserted clearing.

"So… did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Like it?"

"…Seriously, James?"

"What? Didn't you? Because I'm a good kisser." He wiggled his eyebrows. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Who told you that, Sirius or Remus? Because if Peter did, it doesn't count, he wouldn't know any better."

"Har har, very funny. So, was it good?"

"What is this, 4th year? You want me to grade you?"

"Just answer the question."

"I don't exactly have a basis for comparison, you know."

"Either you liked it or you didn't." She threw her hands up in frustration.

"I don't know! Fine, I suppose I liked it. I can't believe we're talking about this with your parents 10 feet away." She'd seen the Potters milling about, trying to look inconspicuous. Mrs. Potter was obviously good at it; her husband, less so.

"They're not listening and they know what kissing is. I don't think we'd shock their delicate sensibilities."

"You're shocking mine."

"That's not what you said last week."

"Oh shush, you overgrown 13 year old."

"So… are you my girlfriend now?"

Lily bit her lip.

"How do I know I'm not your rebound?"

James smiled roguishly at her.

"What? From Buttercup? Nah, I already had my rebound from her."

"Who – never mind, I don't want to know. And maybe you're still in love with her."

"Buttercup or the rebound?"

"James."

"No, I am not still in love with her. That's been over for months. She left. She's not coming back."

"Doesn't mean you're not pining for her."

"'Pining?' Are we in one of your Jane Ostrich Muggle books now?"

"Jane Austen, James. And I note you didn't answer the question."

"This is like talking to my father, you should be an Auror. NO, I'm not pining. Don't get me wrong, I liked her, but it's over now. And with you, it's all… different." Lily shrugged her shoulders uneasily at that, looking at the crowd and chewing her lip.

"Really now? Please, elaborate."

James sighed and rubbed his chin. You'd think he'd be more nervous, thought Lily. Here he was, about to stand up on that podium and tell the world who he really was. Open himself to something that Lily herself still had trouble dealing with.

But he wasn't. He was leaning back, his perpetually messy hair being ruffled not by his hands this time, but the light breeze that blew over the pitch that day. The fedora was posed on his head at an artful angle, looking almost cheerful. He looked calm, relaxed. But as Lily took a closer look, she notices that his hands were firmly in his pockets, his shoulders were slightly raised up, and he was tapping his right foot lightly against the grass.

Maybe he was more nervous than he looked.

He turned and looked at her. "You're different. I look at you, and I realize that whatever we have isn't easy, and it probably never will be. We're both much too pigheaded and used to getting what we want. We'll probably try to kill each other several times a week. But… that's okay. Because I think…" there, he shrugged his shoulders and looked uneasy for the first time since he had sauntered over to her seat. "I think being with you would be easier than… being without you."

As far as confessions went, it wasn't exactly the most eloquent, Lily thought as her cheeks burned pink, but with a giddy smile, she found that it didn't matter. She reached up to tug at her own hat as a slow, shy smile spread over her face. It was, to her, the most romantic thing she's probably ever heard.

"Okay," Lily said, a little breathless. "So, after this, I have to go to a music festival and play a set. Wanna come?"

James looked at her, and with a smile, nodded.

"Hey!" Sirius yelled from behind them. "Can we come too?"

"So are you going to get up there anytime soon or what? You should be working, not chatting up birds." Lily gave him a stern look that would have made Professor McGonagall proud.

"You're not a bird," James said indignantly. "You're my possibly hopefully potential future girlfriend."

"Jumping ahead of ourselves, Mr. Potter, aren't we?"

"Well, you didn't knee me in the groin when I stuck my tongue down your throat. Generally that's a pretty good indicator you might say yes if I ask you out."

"That's a good point," said Remus reasonably from behind them.

Lily rolled her eyes in exacerbation. "So if I date you do I get those three as well?"

"Package deal," said Sirius cheerfully. "But don't mind us, it's like we won't even be here."

"Do you think they're going to make out now?"

"Shh, Peter, don't ruin the mood." Sirius hissed.

Lily glanced at James, lips pursed, who smiled at her apologetically. "It's not my fault. I fed them on the train first year and they followed me back to the dormitories. They know the password to the tower now, we can't get rid of them."

Try as she might, Lily couldn't stop another small smile from touching her lips before she shoved James. "Come on, _Lyon_, get. Start this circus, I'm going to be late and miss my set if you don't step on it."

"Step on what?" James said blankly as Lily rolled her eyes and shooed him away. As James jogged away from them, looking back at the redhead curiously a few times, Lily turned around to inspect her new posse. They looked back at her stoically and Sirius said, "Can't shake us off, Lilykins my love, we know where James lives."

Lily looked pensive. "I could lure you off with breadcrumbs and get you lost in the Forbidden Forest."

Remus smiled suddenly. "We're pretty good at finding our way back home." Sirius patted his pocket with a smug smirk.

Lily opened her mouth to answer, but a noise from the podium commanded her attention. She turned to face the small stage, unable to wipe the curiosity from her face as she saw in the corner of her eye Remus and Sirius share a private smile. Looks like the boys had a few tricks up their sleeves she had yet to know about.

"What a bloody show that was!"

"Did you see Elm's face when she heard? She dropped her quill! It was hilarious."

"I thought old Doris was going to have a heart attack. He turned purple and then green."

The Marauders were chatting enthusiastically as they strode away from the crowded pitch. It had been, as Peter put it, a bloody show. As soon as James had hit the stage to announce that he was not a 20-something athlete but was in actuality a 16-year-old student, all hell had broken loose. Rival players had been shell-shocked at the realization that they'd been beaten by a teenager; rival coaches blustered in indignation at the "deceit", demanding James be banned from professional Quidditch; reporters had fairly wept with joy, and Puddlemere United supporters looked flustered and yet proud that one of their own was so vastly talented at such a young age.

Dozens of questions later, James had slipped away and left his trainer to deal with the rest of the inquiries from the crowd. He'd met up with his friends and Lily backstage, and they'd immediately left to go somewhere a bit more private to Portkey off to Lily's festival. His parents had used the opportunity to eclipse themselves as well – they'd come to support their son, and there was no need to suffer the stares and attention that people would pay them the second the press conference ended.

Lily wasn't sure if it was a great idea to bring James and company along to her music festival – they were all from magical families, though Remus had taken Muggle Studies – but she was secretly glad for the company. Was it only a week that had passed since she'd walked out of James' house, only to see Death Eaters waiting for them? It felt like a lifetime.

"So," Sirius said conversationally. "Where are we going exactly?"

"To an open air music festival," replied Lily mildly. I have a set to play there. It's going to be packed, I think they announced something like 40,000 people were going to attend."

The boys whistled while James nodded then frowned. "Wait, isn't your fanbase a little bit young for open air hippiefests?"

"It's not a hippiefest, and I happen to have admirers of all ages," Lily said snootily. "Besides, it's good to branch out sometimes. No theatrics or crazy costumes, just me, my band and a micstand." This answer prompted Sirius to ask if she was going to sing in the nude in that case, which promptly earned him a well placed slap to the back of the head, courtesy of James.

When they got to a secluded clearing, Lily forgot to ask James how he even knew what hippies were, turned around and looked at the boys beadily, arms akimbo.

"Ok, let's see… James you look presentably Muggle, excluding that ridiculous headgear. Remus, if we just transfigure your uniform pants into jeans you'll be fine. Sirius… Sirius, take off your cloak – James, you transfigure it into a light coat, yeah? Sort of like yours. Peter, Peter, Peter – let me think." She looked at the boy critically before pulling her wand out. "Stay still – _texofors_ – stay still, Peter –"

"It tickles," he protested.

"Let me just adjust the length of your sleeves –"

After a few minor adjustments and squirming, the Marauders looked presentable for the Muggle world. They were all wearing jeans or dark slacks, light coats and their shoes have been transformed into "sneakers", a world which vastly amused Sirius.

"Good, good," nodded Lily. "Very normal. Now, here we go, let me get the Portkey –" She pulled out a dirty piece of string that she stretched out between the four boys.

"Okay, we're going to arrive right behind the tents where the artists prepare. I'll say you guys are my entourage or my security or something. Then I'll get ready, and you'll be able to hang around the guest area. Do NOT go out and mingle in the crowd," Lily told them sternly. "There's thousands of people, you'll get separated and it'll be a nightmare to get back together. And don't talk to any Muggles, especially you, Sirius."

Before the dark haired boy could protest, the string in their hands grew warm and before they knew it, their feet had left the ground and they were off.

"Oh, gross, Peter!"

The blond haired boy only moaned and bent back in the bushes to heave again. Lily awkwardly patted him on the back as he groaned.

The voyage hadn't been a particularly smooth one. Upon arrival, a green Peter had immediately cast up his lunch, narrowly missing Sirius's loafers. Remus muttered a quick "Aguamenti" and passed his friend a cup of fresh water.

Once Peter's color had settled a bit, Lily urged the boys to follow her out of the small clearing they had landed in.

They emerged from the trees and were met with an impressive sight: the music fair was sprawled over a huge field, with tents and stands pitched haphazardly among the sea of people present at the event. To their immediate left was a huge structure raised off the ground, backed by a huge panel from which hung thousands of cords, cables and lighting equipment.

Making their way to the makeshift stage, Lily kept the hat firmly over her hair. When she approached the entrance of the tent nearest the stage, she pulled an ID badge from her pocket and flashed it at man standing menacingly near the flap.

"I'm here for my set, and these," the redhead pointed her thumb behind her towards the four boys. "Are my bodyguards." The man spared the Marauders a dubious glance but shrugged his beefy shoulders and stepped aside. Lily sauntered in, closely followed by the boys.

The inside was pure madness. Assistants and managers were scrambling to get their protégés stage ready, while the bands and tech crews fussed over technical details and rehearsed one last time. In one corner, a man in a grungy t-shirt was practicing a few riffs before his set while a young woman at a set of drums on the other side of the tent threw him a poisonous glance. A spiteful looking young woman seated in front of a lighted mirror was seething at her makeup artist, who looked thoroughly unimpressed by the girl's histrionics.

A small balding man was running after a sullen looking young artist in leather chaps, all the while huffing, "Mitch – sorry, I meant _Phlegethon_, we can't add more pyrotechnics without violating the fire department codes or, incidentally, _burning this place to the ground_ – "

"There you are, Lily!" a relieved voice cut through the chaos. It was Ms. Collins, who looked very relieved to see her charge at the door. "We were waiting for you. You barely have time for makeup and – oh, excuse me, I didn't see you had company." The manager peered thoughtfully at the four boys behind her glasses, her eyes lingering on James for an extra beat. A spark of recognition lit her warm eyes.

"Ms. Collins, this is James, Sirius, Peter and Remus," present Lily affably. "They're friends from school and came to see the show. Guys, this is Ms. Collins, my manager." The teenagers murmured an abashed hello.

"I see," murmured Ms. Collins. "It's very nice to meet you boys." She snapped her attention back to Lily. "So, ready to get into costume and makeup?"

The young girl nodded and waived at the Marauders. "Talk to Emily – girl in the purple hat – and tell them you're my guests, she'll give you some passes so you can go see the show up front. I'll see you later then!" James waived at her a little dejectedly, and they trudged back through the crowd.

Ms. Collins immediately turned towards her young charge, who was already shedding her coat and taking a seat at the makeup table. "So you're dating James Potter, aka Ric Lyon?" Her eyes flashed excitedly. "Good girl! This is PR magic. I couldn't have dreamt up a better boyfriend for you."

Lily frowned at her manager in the mirror. "How did you know about Ric Lyon? That was announced what, half an hour ago –"

Ms. Collins waived her questions away. "Of course I know, I was owled about it almost twenty minutes ago. Like I said," she sighed happily. "PR gold. Now stand still so we can slather you in makeup."

Lily frowned, but quickly smoothed her brows when the makeup artists clucked disapprovingly at her.

James was getting impatient. He was standing on the side of the stage, in the VIP section, listening to an angry looking bloke caterwauling about rivers of fire and whatnot as plumes of orange flames shot from metallic looking objects around the stage.

Sirius, on the other hand, looked much more impressed, not by the music but apparently by the singer's attire. James could have sworn his best friend had moaned "leather pants," at some point, but due to the squealing from the audience he couldn't be sure at all.

It had been over an hour since he had been separated from Lily, waiting for her set to start. The angry young man was finishing up, wheezing on stage as he attempted to smash his guitar against the floor (he was having trouble; the guitar was gaining the upper hand). He hadn't had many opportunities to see the young singer perform, so he was eager to hear her live. Even Remus looked interested, who was normally not a huge fan of pop music.

Just as James was about to ask Peter for the 13th time what time it was, the stage went dark. The angry singer, apparently having given up on destroying his instruments, had shuffled off stage with his bandmates. Dozens of crew techs started swarming the stage, setting up for the next act. At this sight, the crowd started going wild with eagerness for the next performer – people started unfolding signs, which James realized were for Flor. The crowd was starting to chant her name.

The messy haired boy let the excitement of the crowd get to him. It had been such a stressful few weeks, and the hum of the people reminded him a Quidditch Pitch just before a match. The tension in the air, but the unmistakable scent of anticipation and enthusiasm was filling his lungs and bringing back memories of him, waiting in the locker rooms, listening to the roar of the people as they waited outside for the show to start…

Suddenly James began regretting for the time his game suspensions. He was already itching to go back on the field, and was even a bit envious of Lily's chance to do what she did best.

The stage went dark and the crowd screamed. A lilting guitar started playing, the notes floating over the field of fans.

A small redheaded girl in a floor length dress glided onto the stage. She did not acknowledge the thousands of screaming people reaching out to her, only closed her eyes and gripped the mic that stood before her. She raised her other arm to the sky.

_Happiness, hit her like a train on a track_

_Coming towards her, stuck still no turning back_

_She hid around corners and she hid under beds_

_She killed it with kisses and from it she fled_

_With every bubble she sank with a drink_

_And washed it away down the kitchen sink_

_The dog days are over_

_The dog days are done_

_The horses are coming so you better run_

_Run fast for your mother run fast for your father_

_Run for your children for your sisters and brothers_

_Leave all your love and your longing behind you_

_Can't carry it with you if you want to survive_

_The dog days are over_

_The dog days are done_

_Can you hear the horses_

_Cuz here they come_

At this point, she turned to James, smiling shyly at him before singing plaintively.

_And I never wanted anything from you_

_Except everything you had_

_And what was left after that too. oh._

_Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back_

_Struck from a great height_

_By someone who should know better than that_

_The dog days are over_

_The dog days are gone_

_Can you hear the horses_

_Cuz here they come_

The crowd was clapping in time to the music, holding their hands to the air and trying to sing along.

_Run fast for your mother and fast for your father_

_Run for your children for your sisters and brothers_

_Leave all your love and your loving behind you_

_Can't carry it with you if you want to survive_

Soon all worries and scares had faded from Lily's mind. It was here she felt at her most confident, her most secure. All insecurities melted to leave behind nothing but pure energy.

_The dog days are over_

_The dog days are gone_

_Can you hear the horses because here they come_

James kept his eyes on Lily. He was barely aware of his friends clapping besides him, keeping time. He wasn't thinking of his parents, his job, his school, or his enemies. All he did in that blissful, perfect moment was keep his eyes on her and keep in time.

_The dog days are over_

_The dog days are gone_

_Can you hear the horses because here they come_


End file.
